


Playful Waves

by liddie



Series: The Hobbit AU Series [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood and Torture, Boys Kissing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Kili's a little shit, M/M, Mer!Fíli, Mermaids, Oral Sex, Romance, Sexual Content, Shower Sex, Teenagers, Top!mer!Fíli
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-18 06:27:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 64,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/876663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liddie/pseuds/liddie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of mostly one shots that involve a human!Kíli and mer!Fíli</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Kíli's day gets a lot better when he gets a visitor while doing a repair job on an empty dock.  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> I watched 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' yesterday got the idea for this AU. I'm going to be posting more one-shots in this verse, some that continue on after this and some from their past showing how they got to this point.
> 
> Please enjoy!

* * *

 

The harsh sun beats down onto the white sand, casting mirages of watery pools along the long stretch of beach. Kíli raises his arm to wipe at his brow while squinting up at the cloudless sky. He brushes a few stray hairs from his face and tucks them behind his ear before reaching up to tighten his ponytail.

The beach is completely empty, a normal occurrence for this side of the island.  Not many people come to this beach anyway, so Kíli almost always has it to himself. It's kind of like his own private beach, far away and nestled in the middle of nowhere. 

Shaking the thoughts from his head the brunet sets back to work hammering another nail into the dock and securing the loose plank.  He’s been out on the dock for a few hours now, judging from the position of the sun, and knows his shoulders have a light dusting of pink covering them. His suntanned skin was already darker than normal before he set out for the day and this new burn is only going to darken it further.

Setting his hammer down Kíli reaches for a few nails before scooting down the dock a bit, kneeling on a loose board close to the edge to fit it into place. He leans his weight forward and his leg comes up to accidentally knock his hammer into the ocean. With a curse Kíli tries to reach for it but its’ heavy metal causes it to sink down too fast. Letting out a sigh the brunet collapses on the dock and groans, pillowing his head on folded arms as he debats on whether to head back home for another hammer or just sleep the rest of the day away.

Kíli dozes on the dock but the hot sun makes sleep almost impossible. He looks out towards the open ocean and squints at the small dots that are fishing boats drifting along the sea. The brunet closes his eyes again and listens to the sound of waves crashing and gulls squawking as he dozes lightly.

A particularly loud gull wakes him abruptly from his light sleep, Kíli raising his head from his arms and leaning up. Dark eyes widen when he sees hammer lying innocently on the deck beside him, a small puddle of water evaporating around it.

With a broad grin Kíli leans over the edge of the dock, his eyes searching the clear blue water. A few colorful fish swim below the surface but there's no sign of what he is truly looking for. The brunet pushes himself up and sits back with his legs crossed, gathering up his loose nails and stuffing them in his duffle bag along with the previously lost hammer. He roots around in the bag and pulls out a smaller bag that is easily tucked into his shorts pocket. Reaching out he snags his turkey sandwich and stuffs half of it into his mouth before toeing off his sandals and tossing them into the hot sand of the beach.

“I know you’re out there,” Kíli calls teasingly, walking the few steps off the dock to throw his bag onto the sand near his sandals. He pulled his shirt off and grimaces at the sweat covering it before throwing that in the sand too. Kíli heads back down the dock as he devours the rest of his sandwich, carefully avoiding the planks he has yet to fix. Plopping down at the end he leans over the edge and cups the cool water, splashing it over his face in an attempt to cool down. 

After a few moments of silence the teenager huffs, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few carrots from the bag and popping one into his mouth.

“Fine, be that way,” the brunet says to no one, lying down on his stomach and swirling his hands in the water absently as he reaches back every so often to grab a carrot. As a ‘thank you’ to his mystery helper Kíli rises to his knees and tosses a carrot out into the ocean as far as he can. After getting no sign of a blond head he plops back down, resigning himself to a lonely afternoon.

A few minutes pass and Kíli’s mind drifts aimlessly as he thinks of the things he has yet to do today. His mother has put him in charge of dinner so he'll definitely have to do some fishing later. Kíli laughs at that thought, completely missing the blond that is watching him from below.

He's brought out of his musings by a few bubbles floating to the surface and with a raised brow he leans over the edge of the dock to peer into the water. Startling blue eyes met his own as hands came up to cup his face, pulling him down to almost touch the water. Kíli goes willingly, leaning into the blond’s soft kiss. When they part the other male grins, showing off his slightly pointed white teeth.

“Bird sandwich,” the blond teen says cheekily, causing Kíli to snort.

“Turkey sandwich, actually.” He informs, getting an unimpressed look from the other. “And do _I_ detect a hint of carrots?”

With a wild grin the blond pulls at Kíli, toppling the man down into the water with ease. The brunet comes up sputtering, his wet ponytail flopped over in his face. The pale one laughs as he surfaces, reaching over to dunk Kíli’s head back under the water.

With a cry Kíli comes up again and shoots a glare at the blond as he treads water. “That’s not very nice, Fíli!” Kíli reaches for the merman, his hand meeting empty water as Fíli dives under. “I knew the stories of mermaids drowning innocent victims were true,” Kíli murmurs to himself. The brunet circles around, trying to find the blue-eyed man before giving up and moving to float on his back. 

“Not true!”

Kíli lets out a shriek at the sudden voice behind him and the hands grabbing at his hips, pulling his lower body under the water further as quick hands pat at his shorts. With a huff Kíli kicks his legs to stay afloat before he feels a strong, scaly appendage wrap around them and anchor him in place.

He looks over to see Fíli grinning at him victoriously, his hands holding the bag of carrots that used to be in Kíli’s pocket.

“Thief!” Kíli cries, throwing his hands up into the air in mock outrage. Fíli smirks around his mouthful of carrots, losing any effect of innocence with the orange shreds littering his teeth. Kíli lets out a laugh at the sight, shifting his legs slightly for Fíli to loosen his hold. The blond unwraps his tail and Kíli spins around to swim toward the other.

“You only like me for my carrots,” Kíli accuses with a pout, Fíli taking a moment to pretend to think about it before nodding seriously.  Kíli lets out a huge sigh, sinking below the water in an exaggerated pout. He holds his breath, waiting for Fíli to do something as he continues to sink further below the surface.

Just as he's about to kick back up Fíli appears in front of him, grabbing the teen's face and pulling him into a deep kiss. Kíli doesn't taste carrots at all, only salt and a deep flavor that is all Fíli. As he goes to pull back with the lack of oxygen getting to him, Fíli pushes forward in another kiss, passing him a breath. Kíli swallowed reflexively, feeling oddly like he’s swallowed a ball of light.

Fíli pulls back with a grin, which soon falls when he sees Kíli begin to struggle to get to the surface with the need to breathe at the front of his mind. Before he can swim off Fíli holds him down and coils his tail around the brunet, a panicked look flashing across brown eyes. Fíli wraps his arms around the brunet and brings his face close while miming exaggerated breathing.

Kíli tries to calm down, trusting Fíli as he takes a mouthful of water in and inhales. He closes his eyes and waits for the water to fill his lungs, only to snap them open when he realizes he's breathing under water.

He gives Fíli an amazed look, narrowing his eyes slightly at he smug look the blond wears. Giving him a cheeky smile Fíli untangles his tail from Kíli’s legs and grabs the brunet’s arm, pulling him along towards the shallows. Kíli stares at the colorful fish and sea life that passes, pointing things out to Fíli every so often. The blond grins as he watches Kíli, picking up small creatures and handing them over to the excited brunet.

Kíli is in complete awe at the experience, touching soft corals and picking up roaming sea stars without having to worry about surfacing for a breath. He places the small crab back onto the ocean floor before turning to Fíli and pulling him in for a kiss.  The blond leans into the kiss, his hands going to Kíli’s waist to pull him close. When he leans back Kíli wraps his arms around the blond, mindful of the soft gills on the side of his neck. 

Fíli hums, swimming them around lazily as Kíli combs his fingers through golden hair, tracing the braid and bead that floats around in the blond locks. The brunet begins kissing a trail along his neck, causing Fíli to let out a string of pleased noises as they float aimlessly. With a happy grin into Kíli’s dark hair Fíli flicks his tail and they rise to the surface.

When they break the waves Kíli takes in a deep breath as Fíli’s gills clamp down to keep the moisture in. “I didn't know you could do that!” Kíli says excitedly as Fíli rolls onto his back, holding Kíli to his chest as he continues to float without direction.

“New trick,” Fíli confesses, his arms coming up to wrap around Kíli’s waist. Kíli leans down to softly kiss the edges of the gills, trailing soft kisses along the merman’s neck and chest. A sudden thought comes to the brunet and he snaps his head up, giving Fíli a questioning look.

“If it’s new then how did you know it would work?” He asks with a raised brow, Fíli’s blue eyes darting away as he suddenly does a roll, dunking Kíli under for a few seconds before resuming his position on his back.

“You didn't know it would work?” Kíli nearly shouts, Fíli having the decency to at least look sheepish.

“But it did, was good, yes?” Fíli points out, chuckling at Kíli’s bewildered look.

“Sure it did, but you could of given me a little warning,” Kíli grumbles into pale skin, resting his chin on Fíli’s muscled chest and glaring at the blond.

“Kíli safe with Fíli,” the blond promises, reaching up to run his fingers through Kíli’s ponytail. His swift fingers undo the tie and soon Kíli’s dark hair is spilling across his shoulders.

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard that one before,” Kíli teases with a grin, humming as Fíli cards his fingers through wet hair, scratching lightly at the scalp.

“Was safe then, like now.” Fíli muses, laughing when Kíli buries his face in his chest.  “No panic.”  Kíli’s head snaps up.

“No need to panic, are you talking about earlier or back then? Because let me remind you, I was _eight_ and had _no idea how to swim as I fell off the back of a moving boat!”_ Kíli grunts with a pout, kicking his legs lightly and tangling them with Fíli’s tail, trying to throw off his swimming. Fíli just laughs and drops his tail so Kíli’s bottom half slides down into the water further.

“Don't think we’re done talking about this, Fíli! You can’t jus—”

Fíli cuts him off with a kiss, his tongue coming out to trace Kíli’s lips as the brunet obeys and opens his mouth wider. He wraps his legs around Fíli’s waist and uses the position to change his angle, tangling his hands in the blond hair and holding the merman close. Fíli changes his direction, holding Kíli into the kiss as he maneuvers them towards the beach.

Kíli keeps kissing him as he swims and once they hit sand the brunet rolls the blond onto his back and straddles him as the waves lap around them. Leaning back Kíli takes in the sight of the blond spread out below him, his wet hair fanned out in the sand like a halo and pink lips kiss swollen. Fíli lets out a whine, reaching up to draw the brunet back down into another searing kiss.

Fíli’s tail thrashes in the shallow water, coming up every so often to drape over Kíli’s back and press the brunet teen closer to his chest. Kíli pulls back slightly, leaning his head down to rest his forehead against Fíli’s.

“Thanks for saving my hammer,” Kíli pants, his breath warming the cooler skin of the merman. Fíli lets out an amused noise and grins, leaning up slightly to give Kíli a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks for carrots.”

Kíli laughs and rolls off the blond to sprawl on his back in the sand. Fíli’s tail curls around his ankle in a comforting gesture, Kíli humming happily at the feel of cool scales against his heated skin. They lay there for a few moments before Kíli gives a groan as he sits up.

“As much as I’d love to stay here with you, I’ve got to finish fixing the dock and then catch some dinner.” He says with a sigh, moving to stand only to have his foot pulled out from under him as Fíli tugs with his tail. Crashing back to the sand Kíli sends the blond a bewildered look.

“You fix dock, Fíli catch dinner,” Fíli directs as he looms over the brunet, leaning down to press a searing kiss to Kíli’s lips before pushing off and into the water. Kíli watches him disappear under the waves, grinning like an idiot as he gets up and stumbles over to his bag to grab the rest of the nails.

 

* * *

 

 

 

An hour or so later finds Kíli half in the water at the end of the dock, his legs wrapped around one of the support posts as he hammers a nail into the wood from under the dock. The support next to him needs better reinforcing but the angle he had from the dock just wasn't working. He set his hammer up onto the edge before dropping his legs and plopping down into the water. Staying under for a few seconds Kíli enjoys the refreshing feeling of cool water on his heated skin. He surfaces all too soon, reaching up to grab the dock and hauling himself up. It isn't as easy for him as it is for Fíli since he doesn't have a long tail to help push him up. After he finally gets his upper torso onto the dock he lets his bottom half hang down awkwardly with his legs still in the water. 

With a motivational grunt he hefts the rest of his body up and kicks his legs to gain momentum, rolling onto his back on the hard wood. A pleased noise escapes before he turns to look out at the water, dark eyes narrowing at the sight of Fíli watching him.

“Did you seriously just watch me struggle to get up here and not help?” He says in disbelief, rolling to the side to face the blond. 

“Enjoying the view,” the blond muses, swimming closer and drags something into view. Kíli lets out a huff at the confession, raising a brow when he catches sight of what Fíli holds. The blond swims up to the dock, grabbing the edge with one hand to brace himself and lifting the net he carries with the other.

Kíli’s eyes widen at the four huge fish that thrash around in the net, all colorful and more than enough food for Kíli and his mother. Fíli smiles at the surprised look before dropping it back into the water and ducking under. Kíli rolls to the edge and peers down into the clear ocean, watching Fíli tie the net to the post under the dock so the fish will stay alive but can’t get away.

When the blond surfaces Kíli reaches down to cup his cheek, Fíli leaning into the gesture with a happy sound. Rubbing his thumb lightly across Fíli’s cheek, the blond bites the appendage lightly when it strayes to his mouth. 

“Naughty Fee.”

Kíli grins, removing his hand and getting to his feet before jumping into the water. He hears Fíli’s laugh as he swims the surface, the blond coming up next to him when he breaks through the waves. Kíli smiles and drapes his arms loosely around Fíli’s shoulders as the merman pulls him even closer.

“Did you miss me?” Kíli asks with a small laugh, Fíli’s deep eyes focused on his own.

With a few flicks of his tail Fíli presses the brunet to the dock post, smothering him with sweet kisses everywhere he can. Kíli giggles as he relaxes against the post and sags against the blond merman, returning the stray kisses that crossed his lips. 

“Kíli is mine,” Fíli says as he moves to suck at the juncture of Kíli’s neck and shoulder, the brunet humming in agreement. Fíli’s sharp teeth press lightly into the forming bruise, making Kíli moan softly.

Pulling back suddenly Kíli yelps as he sinks down into the water without Fíli to hold him up. When he resurfaces Fíli is laughing at him from a few feet away.

“You dumb fish, I hate it when you do that!” Kíli yells, trying to hide the smile that wants to spread across his face. He turns to haul himself back onto the dock, trying to be quick about it and not give the blond a show.

Fíli’s eyes widens slightly as Kíli pulls himself out of the water and stands, collecting his hammer and walking towards the beach. With a whine the blond begins to follow alongside the dock, flicking water at Kíli every so often. The brunet ignores the playful merman until he is almost to the beach, making a show of ‘accidentally’ dropping his hammer and kneeling down to get it. 

Fíli leans up onto to dock when he sees Kíli stop, making a keening noise and reaching for the brunet with a sad face.  “Kíliiiii.”

Kíli smirks before turning quickly, reaching out to grab the wide-eyed blond under the arms and haul him up onto the dock.  Fíli lets out a surprised shout, resting heavily against Kíli’s chest as the brunet leans back with the merman between his spread legs.

“Hmm I’ve got quite the catch here,” he murmurs smugly, adjusting his legs so the blond fits between them snugly.  Fíli huffs in mock annoyance, bringing a hand up to smack Kíli’s chest lightly before leaning into the embrace. Kíli smiles as he bends down to kiss Fíli’s silky golden hair, reaching down to run his hands along the scales where Fíli’s ass would be.

“You’re my pretty little mermaid,” Kíli says softly, laughing at the pinch that he gets to his side.  “Merman! My strong, fierce merman.”

The blong grunts, moving the end of his tail off of Kíli’s feet and dipping it into the water lazily. Kíli shifts a bit, leaning down fully onto his back and pulling Fíli up higher. The blond complies, resting his head on Kíli’s chest over his heart and humming a lullaby Kíli had taught him many years ago.

“Lets just stay like this forever,” Kíli murmurs quietly, running his hands up and down Fíli’s back and pushing the damp blond hair off to the side. Fíli hums in agreement against him, flicking his tail up to send water splashing along his back and tail. Kíli helps spread the cool liquid around, his fingers working the tight muscles in Fíli’s back. 

They lay on the dock for a while but when Kíli realizes the blond is no longer flicking water he leans his head up and notices Fíli is asleep against his chest. Kíli smiles at the sight before reaching up to card his fingers through blond hair, Fíli stirring against him.

“C’mon little mermaid, we don't want you drying out.” Kíli says lightly, Fíli answering him in his own musical language. “Use your words, Fee.”

“M’comfy,” Fíli replies, frowning when Kíli sits up. He rests heavily against the brunet and tries to pin him down, humming when Kíli begins to gather him up into his arms. Twining his tail around Kíli’s waist Fíli loops his arms around the human’s neck as he's lifted, closing his eyes in a doze as Kíli carries him off the dock and onto the beach.

Kíli smiles down at the blond, carrying him over to where the water meets the white sand. Normally he would just throw the blond off the dock but Fíli is being so sweet he just can't bring himself to do it. Kneeling down into the wet sand Kíli lays the merman out, making sure his bottom half is in the water. 

Fíli sighs as he's dipped into the cool liquid, his scales soaking it up and relieving the slight itch. Glancing up at Kíli with lidded eyes a smile crosses his face at the sight of Kíli leaning over him with his own soft smile. Fíli reaches up, pulling the brunet down into a chaste kiss.

“You’re awfully cuddly today,” Kíli observes when he leans back, watching Fíli roll further into the water and duck under the waves to swim around. The brunet locates his duffle bag and fetches the hammer before tucking it inside. He slings it over his shoulder and walks down into the surf to meet the blond. 

Fíli once again has the net of fish, throwing it up onto the beach and raising his arms to Kíli. The brunet grins, leaning down into the wet hug and holding Fíli tight.

“Miss you,” Fíli whispers quietly, burying his face into Kíli’s neck.

“I’ll miss you too,” Kíli says softly, giving one last squeeze before releasing the blond. “And thanks for dinner, although I’d much rather eat _you_ ,” Kíli leers, getting a face full of water in response.

Kíli chuckles as he stands, stooping down to grab the net of fish and heading down the beach, looking back once to watch the blond head duck under the water. With a sigh Kíli continues his trek home, hoping he’ll still have a free day tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out on a small fishing trip with family and friends, Kíli meets his blond friend once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kíli is eleven in this one, so it happens way before the first chapter. I imagine he's gotten into a lot of things he's not supposed to at this age, always looking for adventure and exploring outside during the day. I hope he doesn't seem too old or too young.

 

* * *

Eleven-year-old Kíli sighed, staring out blankly at the slowly rolling waves.  The boat dipped and rose, bobbing along as the ocean rocked them steadily.  His mother sat beside him, chatting animatedly with a cheery Bofur.  The dark haired man smiled, shifting over every so often to check the nets along the side of the boat.

“Come on over here, Kíli. I’ll show ya how all this works so you can come out and help us sometime,” Bofur offered, Kíli jumping up and listening as the grinning man explained how the nets worked.

“That rope there is connected to both the nets and the pulley system that drags them back up.  Usually Nori or I run the controls in the pilothouse, and this lever here is the emergency release.  One pull of that and the nets release, dropping everything into the water.”  Bofur continues to explain how they pull the nets over the deck and release one side to allow the fish onto the deck for sorting.

Kíli takes everything in with wide eyes, asking questions when they come up and reaching down with Bofur’s help to inspect the nets that were dragging in the water now.  He follows instruction well and has Bofur promising he’ll take Kíli out with them when he’s a bit older.

When Bofur goes back to ask Dís about Kíli joining him for a fishing trip, Kíli walks over to the other side of the boat and jumps up on the railing above where Ori is sitting.

The brunet looks down to his left, watching Ori sketch a perfect replica of the boat they’re on while listening to Glóin.  Kíli listens in on what the redhead man is saying, turning his attention from Ori’s drawling to the large redhead.

“Aye, they’ll ensnare your mind and pull you under, quicker than you can call for help,” the fisherman is saying, a grim look about his face.  Ori has stopped sketching, looking to Glóin with wide eyes.

“But I’ve heard they help people sometimes,” Ori says quietly, Glóin laughing darkly at the young boy’s innocent statement.

“Those bedtime stories you hear couldn't be further from the truth, laddie.” Glóin rumbles, turning to stare out at the blue waters.  “Mermaids are dangerous creatures and won’t think twice about drowning an innocent such as yourself.”

“Oi, enough! Quit scaring the lad,” Bofur called from the other side of the boat, Glóin smirking at him before going back to check his line.  Ori looks down with a sigh and Kíli puts a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder.

“Don’t listen to Glóin, Ori.  All he’s good for is telling a wild tale,” Kíli grinned, ducking to avoid the swat Glóin sends his way, laughing and tripping back over to his mother.

Dís laughs, reaching over to ruffle Kíli’s mop of brown hair fondly.  Kíli settles on the railing next to her, Dís leaning over to whisper in Kíli’s ear.

“I’m sure _your_ mermaid isn’t anything like that,” she teases while Kíli’s smile falls to a frown.  No one had believed him the night he’d fallen off the boat, that a blond boy had helped him back to shore.  His mother thought he’d had an overactive imagination and Bofur commented he might of swallowed too much seawater. 

Kíli hadn’t told them of the few times he’d seen the blond merboy afterwards, knowing they’d just tease him further.   It had been a few months since he’d last seen the blond, and sometimes Kíli thinks to himself that it was all a dream.

Shaking his head, Kíli watches as Bofur motions for Nori to hoist the nets up from the water.  The shorter man nods, heading up into the pilothouse to work the controls.  Kíli leans over the side, watching the nets as they start dragging up to the surface.  Dís grabs Kíli’s shoulder when he leans too far, pulling him away from where the heavy ropes will be lowered onto the deck.

As the large nets surface, Kíli’s eyes widen when he notices something far larger than any fish wiggling around in them.  Bofur gives a low whistle, thinking they’ve caught themselves a giant tuna.

Swinging the nets closer to the boat, Kíli catches sight of blond hair and green scales, his breath halting in his throat.

“Is that—”

“By the gods, that’s a mermaid!” Glóin shouts as he jumps to his feet, Ori scrambling up to get a better view.  The mercreature thrashes along with the fish in the nets, hissing and spitting as he gets drawn closer to the boat.  “That right there, young Ori, is a thing of nightmares.”

Wide blue eyes catch Kíli’s own, though the brunet couldn't see recognition among the emotions raging in the frightened blue pools.  As Nori makes to swing the net onto the boat, Kíli is moving before he can think straight.  He dashes to the edge of the boat, ignoring the shouts behind him and jamming the emergency release lever down. 

The nets go crashing into the water, Kíli grabbing his dagger from his boot before jumping up onto the railing.  Ignoring his mother’s frantic screams, Kíli grips the blade tightly and jumps into the ocean feet first.

The boy surfaces, taking a deep breath before ducking under and locating the nets.  Fíli is still tangled in the half sunken ropes, thrashing against them futilely.   Kíli grabs a length of the rope, ignoring the snapping blond and focusing on cutting at the knots.  He tightens his hold on the heavy nets, swimming up form where he’d sunk a bit to get another breath.  Ignoring the screams and shouts form the boat, Kíli ducks back under and starts sawing quickly.  The fins of fish and Fíli alike scrape across his hands, but Kíli ignores them and keeps cutting into the twisted fibers.

Finally, he opens a section big enough for the blond to fit through, swimming back a bit to give Fíli room.   The blond shoots out of the net, knocking Kíli aside in his haste.  The brunet swims to the surface with difficulty, not noticing the net tangling at his feet as his head breaks through the water.  Hearing his mother’s relieved cries over the waves, Kíli takes a deep breath and focuses on staying afloat.

“Kíli, grab the rope!” Bofur shouts from above, throwing a length of rope to the boy.  Kíli reaches for it, just managing to grab it when the net tangled around his feet sinks fully under the water, pulling the boy down with it.  With a strangled yelp, Kíli drops his dagger but manages to take one last deep breath before he’s pulled under completely.

The brunet twists as he sinks, kicking his boots off and reaching down to tug at the heavy rope wrapped around his ankle.  His lungs burn with the lack of air, his limbs starting to feel too heavy.  With a final tug, his leg comes free, though Kíli lacks the energy to swim back up.  He closes his eyes and waits for the water to fill his lungs, only to jolt when something hooks under his arms and hauls him towards the surface at an amazing speed.

Kíli breaks the surface with a gasp, swallowing the air greedily as he tries to catch up for what he’s lost.  His hands scrabble for a hold on his savior, eyes widening when he meets the bright blue eyes of Fíli.

“Fee,” he chokes in relief, his energy leaving him completely as he sags into the water.  Fíli makes a distressed noise, hefting the brunet higher above the water as he swims warily towards the boat.  Kíli wraps his arms around the blond in a loose hold, resting his head on Fíli’s bony shoulder.

Ori is the first to spot them, his delighted cry gaining the attention of the others as Fíli slowly makes his way closer to the boat.  Dís is sobbing against the railing as Bofur treads water close to the boat.  All eyes turn to the approaching merman, Fíli slowing his approach and hissing at the boat’s occupants.

Dís’ breathing hitches at seeing her son in the merboy’s grasp, the frightening stories from before coming to everyone’s mind.

“Stoppit, Fee,” Kíli murmurs, burying his face in Fíli’s neck, mindful of his gills.  The merboy’s hissing fades to a short whine, hugging Kíli closer and eyeing up the boatful of humans with distrust.

“Kíliiiii,” the blond whines softly, nosing Kíli’s neck in a silent question.  Kíli reaches a hand out from around Fíli, pointing towards the end of the boat.  Fíli hesitates before slowly swimming around to the back of the boat, giving the man in the water a reproachful look.  Bofur hauls himself up onto the small swim deck, waiting patiently for the blonde merboy to come closer.

When Fíli gets close enough to reach, Bofur slowly puts his arms out towards the two.  Fíli keeps a tight hold on the brunet as he sizes Bofur up before reluctantly passing Kíli over.  Kíli struggles up onto the swim deck, Bofur and Fíli pulling and pushing to get him onto the boat safely.  Once the brunet is up, he stands shakily and clambers onto the deck of the boat. He winces when he steps with his damaged ankle, Bofur coming from behind and steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.

Dís is at her son’s side instantly, checking him over quickly before pulling him into a hug.  She leads him to sit, mindful of his swollen ankle.  Bofur leans down to inspect it, touching the rapidly forming bruises gingerly and calling for Nori to bring the first aid kit out.

“Don't you ever do something like that again, do you hear me?” Dís scolds, Kíli just humming against her warmth.  The others come over to check on the boy, Kíli reassuring them that he is fine, just a bit tired and sore.  The brunet turns to Bofur, keeping his head hanging low in a silent apology.

“Sorry ‘bout the net. I’ll pay for a new one,” Kíli mumbles in apology, looking up in surprise when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“No problem, Kíli. I’m just glad you’re alright, though you do have some explaining to do,” Bofur says merrily, Kíli giving a relieved smile.

“You’re uh, mermaid is still out here,” Glóin’s hesitant voice breaks the moment, Kíli’s eyes widening as he stumbles painfully to the railing next to a grinning Ori.  Sure enough, Fíli is swimming a few feet below the surface in anxious circles, the green of his tail reflecting in the sunlight.  When he catches sight of the brunet, Fíli surfaces and leans up to grab at the ledge of the boat.

“Fíli, you’re still here,” Kíli says in surprise, reaching down to run his hand along the blond’s hair.  The company of the boat watch with wide eyes as the merboy reaches up to hook his hand behind Kíli’s head and pull him down.  Kíli goes willingly, ignoring the gasps around him and smiling as Fíli nuzzles along his cheek and neck in a comforting manner.

“Kíli safe?” Come the clear words, the brunet nodding his head as much as he can while in the hold.

“I’m okay,” Kíli mutters, his brows furrowing as he looks into Fíli’s wide eyes.  “Are you okay?  Did the net catch you anywhere?”  Kíli worries, his hands coming over the edge to trace down Fíli’s arms, looking for cuts or bruises.

“Fíli safe.  Kíli help,” is the broken reply, followed by a cheeky smile.  Fíli leans up and presses a wet kiss to Kíli’s cheek, causing the brunet to blush.

“That’s some friend you’ve got there,” Dís says with a watery smile, Kíli ducking his head with a grin as his mother sits down next to him.  Fíli eyes her with wary interest, head cocked to the side as he wonders why she looks so much like Kíli.

“I told you he was real, you just never believed me!” Kíli says, exasperated.  Dís smiles at him, leaning over to kiss the top of his head.  Fíli watches them with curious eyes, his attention going back to the brunette woman when she speaks to him.

“Thank you for saving Kíli,” she says warmly, leaning down slowly so she won’t frighten the merboy off.  Fíli’s eyes widen when she kisses his head lightly, Kíli chuckling smugly at the blushing blond’s shocked look. Ori giggles off to the side, breaking the spell and sending Fíli ducking back under the water, though he doesn’t leave just yet.

“I think you two make a fine pair,” Bofur comments honestly, Kíli grinning up at him with a happily smile.  Bofur looks out across the water at the late afternoon sun before nodding to the others.  “I think it’s about time we head back.”

The others murmur their agreements, commenting loudly about meeting their quota for excitement for one day.  Kíli and Ori grin at each other before leaning back over the deck and looking for Fíli.  The blond bursts from the water suddenly, throwing his arms around Kíli while flicking his tail to keep his upper body above the water.  Ori falls back in a fit of giggles while Kíli wraps the blond in a tight hug.

“Bye Fee, thanks for saving me,” Kíli says softly, Fíli cooing at him in his musical language before sliding back into the ocean.  He swims away from the boat before ducking under the waves.

Kíli turns back to the others, smiling happily as he nods to Nori.  The man grins, starting the boat and setting their course for home.  Kíli snuggles into his mother, who brings her arm around Kíli and kisses his damp hair.

“What am I going to do with you,” Dís sighs into damp hair, Kíli shrugging as he burrows into her embrace.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been on a fishing boat before, but I have been on a boat fishing. I'm sorry that the true mechanics of how a fishing boat works are lost on me...I tried.
> 
> Before I forget, Fíli's language will get better as he gets older, he just hasn't had much practice with it yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli and Fíli meet for the first time when they're both young. The connection is immediate and continues to strengthen as time goes by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the first attempt at this verse. I've re-written it about 6 times and this is what stuck, so I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

 

Kíli sighed, kicking his legs idly as he rested his arms on the railing in front of him.  He glanced back over his shoulder at the party going on behind him, huffing loudly and moving closer to the cool blue waters to escape the noise.  His small booted feet hit the lower deck as he jumped down, plopped onto his bottom and set about removing his boots and socks.  Setting them aside, Kíli rolled his pant legs up and dipped his toes in the water, grinning to himself.

His mother had insisted on throwing him a birthday party at sea, and now the coastline was only a small strip of land in the distance.  The brunet squinted, trying to see his house or even the beach, but in the dying light it was impossible. The boy sighed, hoping no one had gone to his cabin to see if he was sleeping soundly below the deck.  Kíli could only handle being still and silent for a few minutes at a time, preferring to explore the ship and be outside in the salty air.

The party had begun a few hours ago, but had quickly escalated to a bunch of adults getting drunk and making fools of themselves.  His mother was still trying to keep order, though because she was so frazzled he was able to slip away to the swim deck.

Kíli felt like a rebel as he sat on the small swim platform, swirling his feet in the clear blue water as he watched the sun sink lower into the horizon.  His mother had hurried him to bed shortly after cake, saying that the party was not one for little boys anymore.  Kíli had stayed in the cabin for a while, finally sneaking out and to the back of the boat without anyone noticing.

Turning eight wasn't such a big deal, and the only part of the party he had enjoyed was the food and cake.  He pulled the stolen second piece of cake from his pocket and unwrapped it, setting it down next to him on the deck.  He then reached into his other pocket and pulled out a few small carrots, laying them happily next to his cake.

Kíli rolled his sleeves up and leaned over to dunk his hands in the water and swirling them around as a means of cleaning them.  Wiping his wet hands on his tunic, Kíli glanced up when he heard a splash, watching the ripples dance across the water.  He kept his brown eyes trained on the ripples for a few moments, shrugging when nothing happened and bringing the cake and carrots into his lap.  His mother had brought carrots especially for him, since they were his favorite food.

He broke a few pieces of cake off and popped them into his mouth, chewing happily and grabbing a carrot and biting it in half.  He looked to the left, seeing more ripples and furrowing his brow.  He glanced down at his half eaten carrot, a grin crossing his face as he tossed the remains into the sea and watched it sink.

He was excited to be turning eight for one reason, and that was his swim lessons.  His mother had agreed to let him learn to swim after his birthday, and Kíli couldn't wait to start.  Speaking of his mother, Kíli grinned into his hands as he thought of how cross she’d be if she knew he was this close to the water.  She worried constantly that he’d drown, saying she saw it in a dream when he was a baby.

A small splash drew his attention back to the ocean, and Kíli cocked his head to the side as he noticed the ripples much closer.  He saw something dark move under the water, perking up at the thought that it might be a dolphin. Glóin had told him many stories about dolphins, and now Kíli wanted to see one for himself.  He picked up another carrot, breaking it in two before throwing half where the ripples were.

“Do you eat carrots?” He wondered aloud, taking a bite of the carrot and tossing the last of it into the water.  “They're my favorite!” 

 He kicked his legs back and forth, imagining that he was moving the boat with his legs alone.  The thought made him giggle, lying back onto his back and watching the darkening sky.

Kíli heard another splash, but his eyes were focused on the pinks and purples painting the sky.  He sat up suddenly when something landed next to him on the platform, reaching out to grab the small object.  He turned it over in his hands, noticing the small holes and colorful pinks and blues that made up the shell.

“Is this for me?” Kíli asked the ocean excitedly, not minding the silence that answered.  He held the shell to his chest, giggling happily and reaching for the last few carrots lying next to him.  He leaned over and grabbed them up, tossing them out into the water.

“Here you go, thank you!” Kíli yelled happily, his grin widening when he caught a flash of green in the water.  He sat silently, watching the water and waiting for something to happen.  He began singing the lullaby his mother sang to him at night, making up his own words when he couldn't remember them and rubbing the smooth shell with his small fingers.

With a sudden though, Kíli set his shell down carefully and began rummaging around his pockets for one of the small beads he had gotten from his mother earlier. He found the silver bead, a small blue sapphire inlaid in the swirling carvings around the middle of the bead.

“Here you go, it’s a bead!” He informed, waiting until he saw another ripple before tossing it into the water.

“I got two for my birthday, so you can have one of them!”  He said with a smile, though it fell when a commotion from behind had him whirling around with wide eyes.

Heavy footsteps approached and Kíli scrambled to his feet, snatching up the shell stuffing it into his pocket.  A large man approached the swim deck, spotting Kíli and giving him a sneer.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?  A little baby all on his own.”

“I’m not a baby!” Kíli said, fear creeping into his voice.  He heard splashing from behind, but didn't dare look away from the crewmember that had approached him.  Most of the crew ignored him when he had gone exploring earlier, though some had offered to show him around and teach him a thing or two as they sailed a few miles out. 

This man, however, was one from below deck that had glared at Kíli every time he saw him.  Kíli shuddered, moving a few steps back from the looming man and looking for an escape.  The man was blocking the stairs, so Kíli stayed where he was.

“C’mon then, little prince, and let’s get you back to your mummy.” The old man grimly, reaching out for Kíli.  The boy shook his head, an angry glare crossing the man’s face.

“I said let’s go, brat!” He yelled, and Kíli’s eyes widened as he stepped even further back towards the edge of the platform.  Kíli felt the boat rumble, realizing the engines had started running.

With an angry scowl, the crewmember lurched forward and tried to grab Kíli, his fingers only grasping air as Kíli jerked back and tumbled into the ocean.

 

* * *

 

Slipping through the crack in the underwater cave wall, Fíli glanced around to make sure the coast was clear.  His uncle and Dwalin were arguing over something as they ate, completely missing the small blond slipping from the room and out towards the open waters. 

Fíli swam by the small caves and kelp beds, trying to stay out of sight.  As a prince, it probably wasn't the best idea to be sneaking out from a meal, but Fíli was restless and needed to swim and stretch his fins.  He passed the coral beds absently, catching sight of a large shadow on the ocean floor.  He glanced up and saw a large shape at the surface, deciding to swim slowly up towards it.

As he got closer, he heard a small splash and went to investigate.  He swam around the large object, getting too close to the surface in his haste and causing a few ripples.  He stilled for a moment, hearing a high voice come from above.  A few seconds later something plopped into the water, the blond reaching out to catch it.

Turning the orange thing over in his hand he sniffed at it before biting into it.  To his surprise, his sharpened teeth cut right through it with no resistance.  Chewing it slowly, Fíli's eyes widened at the taste.  The voice started up again, the blond swimming a bit closer to the surface to hear it better.

Fíli swam along the large object, a boat, his uncle would tell him with a frown.  He munched on the orange objects he’d been tossed, wondering what they were and why they tasted so good.  He threw the whistle he had made earlier to the person on the boat, remembering his uncle always saying trading for goods was important.

The voice kept talking to him, Fíli swimming just a bit closer to the surface to listen more intently.  He caught a glimpse of the one talking, smiling slightly to himself when he noticed the human was not much younger than he was.  The little brown haired boy talked happily, though Fíli couldn't quite keep up with what he was saying.  After a while he started to sing, Fíli listening and soon humming the tune to himself. 

After a while, the blond began flicking water up with his tail to make splashes, letting the boy know he was still there.  He watched the child smile and talk faster, and soon something small plopped into the water close to where he was.  Fíli reached out and snagged the sinking ball, swimming a bit closer to try and hear what it was.

‘ _A bead?_ ’ Fíli thought to himself, tucking the small bauble into the pouch on his belt before swimming lazily beneath the boat.  He thought about breaking the surface to talk to the boy, but his uncle would have his head for sure if he found out.  Fíli knew he was already in for a lecture when he returned, for sneaking off during dinner.

A loud noise filled the water as Fíli watched the flat blades start spinning.  The blond heard a scuffling noise, a frown forming at the thought of the boy leaving.  Another voice joined the boy’s, Fíli frowning at the change he could hear in the boy’s voice.  The blond swam closer to the surface and saw the boy on his feet, back rigid as another figure loomed over him.  Fíli splashed the water urgently, though neither human seemed to notice.

Fíli headed under the boat, thinking maybe it was time for him to leave.  As he swam deeper, he stopped and turned suddenly when he heard a shout.  His blue eyes widened when he heard a splash, watching a small form thrash wildly in the water as it sank.  Snapping out of his daze, Fíli turned back and headed towards the sinking brunet.  The boy’s eyes were wide and frantic, his limbs fumbling clumsily through the water as the large boat started moving away.

Fíli slowed his approach, knowing the frantic limbs could injure him and yet also knowing the small human was running low on air.  His uncle had told him these facts about humans, and also how they could never be trusted. Wide brown eyes caught his own and Fíli knew there was no other option. 

Approaching the boy carefully Fíli grabbed his shoulders to still him, spinning the boy to hook their arms while giving his tail a hard flick to propel them towards the surface.

When they broke through the waves the boy gave out a cry, scrambling in the blond’s hold to turn and face him.  Little arms latched around his neck and Fíli grunted as they pressed tightly against his gills.  The blond hissed, causing the boy to freeze but not let go.  Fíli reached a hand up and loosened the hold a bit before wrapping his arms around the boy and rolling onto his back.  Fíli flipped his tail slowly as he tried to keep them above the water, the blond’s sharp eyes watching as the boat headed back to the shore.  He began to follow it, avoiding the waves in the wake as they cruised along.

He looked down to the brunet, who was crying softly and shaking in his arms.  Fíli tightened his hold slightly to try and comfort him as he picked up his pace slightly.  The blond made an inquisitive noise, the small human glancing around at the wide open water with fear in his watery brown eyes.

“Safe,” Fíli crooned softly, wincing at how grating his voice sounds above water.  The little brunet whimpered, reaching a hand up hesitantly to tangle in Fíli’s blond hair softly.  Fíli began to hum the tune the boy had been singing earlier, feeling the child relax slightly against him.

“Nammeee?” Fíli asked slowly, trying to take the boy’s mind away from the deep water they were cutting through.  He waited patiently, the brunet’s whisper almost lost in the sound of the waves.

“Kíli.”

“Kíli safe.  With Fíli.” The blond said, trying to remember Balin’s teachings in the human language.  He smiled happily when the boy, Kíli, relaxed and laid his head on the blond’s chest.  Flicking his tail a bit harder, Fíli made sure no water would get in Kíli’s face where it rested on his chest.  He was slowly getting the hang of swimming in this position, and even congratulated himself on not tipping the boy into the water at all.

The merboy continued to swim towards the shore until his tail hit the smooth sand on a down stroke.  He shook Kíli gently, the boy lifting his head with wide eyes as he realized where he was.  The two looked down the beach, noticing a commotion going on down at the docks.

Kíli gave an excited shout as he rolled off the blond, splashing down into the shallow water.  Fíli rolled to his stomach, reaching over to help the brunet stand up out of the water.  When Kíli popped up, he threw his arms around the blond’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.

“Thanks Fee!” Kíli laughed, hugging the blond close.  Fíli rocked back to support their weight, not wanting to tumble into the ocean with Kíli wrapped around him like a sea slug.  He buried his face in Kíli’s damp hair, nuzzling into the warm skin of his neck. 

Kíli released the blond, turning and stumbling through the surf to get up onto the beach.  He fell a few times, but Fíli grinned when he made it to the dry sand and turned to wave at the merboy.  The blond faded back into the dark blue waters as Kíli ran down the beach.

* * *

 

“Mama!  Mama where are you?” Kíli shouted, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. 

“Kíli!” His mother cried, pushing around a group of people and falling to her knees.  Kíli ran into her arms, hugging her tightly around the neck.

“Oh Kíli, you’re okay!  Thank the gods you’re okay.” Dís sobbed, scooping the wet boy up into her arms and squeezing tightly.  Bofur and Dori came running over, smiling happily and reaching over to ruffle Kíli’s hair.

“That’s a mighty swim there, lad,” Bofur commented, Dís pulling back to look Kíli in the eye.

 

“How did you get back to shore, Kíli ” She asked around her tears, but Kíli just ducked back into her embrace, shivering lightly.  The adults noticed his chill, Bofur taking off his outer jacket and laying over the boy.  Dís hefted him up into her arms more securely before heading back to their cottage up the beach.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

The next morning had Kíli eager to head out to the beach.  Dís had given him a bath last night, trying to warm him up before bed so he wouldn't get sick.  Kíli had babbled tiredly about a scary man and a boy with blond hair who helped him to shore.

“A mermaid?” Dís laughed as she pulled Kíli’s tunic over his head, his brown waves bouncing with the movement as he worked his arms into the sleeves.

“A _boy_ mermaid, Mama!”  Kíli insisted, jumping down from the bed and pulling his mother towards the door.  Dís chuckled as Kíli led her through the cottage and out to the kitchen’s back door.  She grabbed his shoulder before he could run off, crouching down and putting both hands on the child’s shoulders.

“Now Kíli, I don't want you running off and into the ocean, do you hear me?  You are forbidden to go into the water alone.” Dís said sternly, Kíli hanging his head as tears gathered in his eyes.

“But what if he comes back and wants to play?” Kíli sniffed, and Dís’ face softened at the tears.

“I’m sure you two can find a way to play without you almost drowning.” Dís said, pulling out a small bag of carrots and tucking it into Kíli’s pocket with a smile.  “Promise me you won’t go swimming alone.”

“I promise,” Kíli sighed, leaning in to hug his mother before scampering off.  With a sigh of her own, Dís headed into the kitchen to straighten up and start prepping the chicken for lunch.

 

* * *

 

Kíli kicked up the sand, sending small pieces of driftwood flying as he wandered the beach.  He reached into his pocket, feeling around for the shell Fíli had given him, smiling happily that it was still there.  He pulled it out, trying to figure out the holes in the sides.  Kíli brought it to his mouth and gave a short blow, a strange sound splitting the air. 

Kíli walked along the beach until he came to an abandoned dock, pocketing the shell and heading out on the shabby wooden structure.  He was careful to watch his step, avoiding loose boards and ones sticking up from their place.  He found a sturdy spot and plopped down, kicking his shoes off and reaching his feet down to skim the water. 

The brunet watched a few colorful fish dart under the dock and wished he could swim like they could.  He noticed something white in the water a few feet to the left of where he was sitting and stood, heading further down the dock to get a better look.  He grabbed one of the support posts and leaned out to get a better look, noticing the white thing was a large rock.

“Kíli?”

Kíli whipped his head up at the soft call, spotting Fíli off the end of the dock with just his head visible above the water as he looked around.  Kíli’s smile was short-lived, for the step back he took was onto a rotted plank, knocking the boy off balance and into the water with a cry.

Fíli’s eyes widened as he raced towards the shallows, grabbing Kíli’s shirt and hauling him up.  The brunet gasped, his arms flailing as he tried to grab hold of something to keep him afloat, since his feet couldn't touch the bottom.  Fíli pulled him closer, keeping Kíli above water as he swam a few feet to the sand.

Kíli crawled up the beach, resting half in and half out of the water as he tried to calm his racing heartbeat.  He turned to the side, his eyes finding Fíli lying next to him as he stared with a worried look.

“Kíli safe?  Kíli okay?”

‘I’m okay,” Kíli wheezed, sitting up and pushing his wet hair back.  Fíli followed the boy up, his tail curling anxiously in and out of the clear water. Kíli caught sigh of it and stared with childish curiosity.  He reached his hand out to touch it, pulling back at the last minute as it shifted away.

“Want a carrot, Fee?”  Kíli said suddenly, his hand going into his pocket to find the bag his mother had given him earlier. Fíli watched him with a confused look, his eyes lighting up when he recognized the small orange things Kíli pulled out.

“Thanks for saving me again, Fee.” Kíli said shyly, handing the carrots to the blond.  Fíli looked positively elated as he shoved two of the orange vegetables into his mouth happily.  Fíli offered Kíli a carrot, the brunet taking it happily and munching on it as he watched Fíli’s tail move absently in the sand.

Noticing his gaze Fíli lifted his tail, bringing the end up to lie in Kíli’s lap.  He let out a pleased noise at Kíli’s surprised face, his attention going back to the last of the carrots.

Kíli stared at the green tail, bringing his hand up to run it along the smooth scales.  Fíli made a happy noise, moving closer so more of his tail got attention.  Kíli laughed while he pet the tail, scratching lightly and grinning at the blond’s reaction.  After a while Fíli lifted it off Kíli’s lap and back into the water, dragging himself down slightly to submerge fully in the cool water.  With a happy sigh, he popped his head up and motioned for the brunet.

“Come swim.” Fíli said suddenly, swimming back up to Kíli and holding out his hand.  Kíli smiled sadly, inching down to kick his feet in the water.  When the boy didn't make a move to come in, Fíli swam closer to Kíli with a frown.

“I can’t swim,” Kíli frowned, Fíli clearly not understanding the concept.  Shaking his head sadly, Kíli kicked at the water and refused to meet the blond’s eye.  Fíli let out a whine, pulling at Kíli’s shorts with a questioning look. “Mama said I can’t go in the water alone.”

Kíli let a few tears fall, knowing Fíli would swim away now that he knew the brunet couldn't play with him properly.  And since his fall off the boat, his mother had been adamant about keeping him away from the ocean completely, even from his swim lessons!

To his surprise, Fíli flopped up onto the sand next to him, scrambling to upright himself and sit like Kíli.  The brunet laughed a bit before reaching over to help him up.  Fíli’s hands went for the small human’s tunic, tugging it up and over his head.  Kíli gave him a strange look, though Fíli returned it with a satisfied one.

“Not alone.  Fíli here.”

Before Kíli knew what was happening, Fíli was dragging him into the ocean with a big smile.  He swam out a few feet, and when Kíli’s shuffling feet left the safety of the sandy floor his eyes widened with fear.

The younger began flailing around in panic, Fíli grabbing his arms down and rolling flat onto his back like last night, bringing the brunet to sit on his stomach in a straddle.  With his tail moving to keep them afloat, Fíli gave a triumphant smile.

“Fíli,” Kíli whispered, clutching tight to the merboy’s shoulders as he tried to orient himself.  Fíli grabbed his hips, urging the brunet to sit up and take in the surroundings.  Kíli looked around cautiously, his hands never leaving the blond’s shoulders.  The blond flicked his tail as they swam around the dock lazily, Kíli loosening up a bit as he got more comfortable.

“Kíli no sink.  Fíli help.  Kíli swim.”

Kíli ran his hand through the water at his side, smiling at how easy swimming seemed for the blond.  They continued to float for a while before Fíli made an inquisitive noise and Kíli looked down at him.

“Kíli swim?  Fíli help!”

Kíli paused, looking to the shore a few feet away.  Fíli followed his gaze, his smile dropping when he noticed where he brunet was looking.  Before he could head back to the shallows Kíli nodded with a determined look.

“Yes, I want to swim,” the boy said, Fíli grinning as he wrapped his arms around Kíli’s waist.  Letting his tail fall down deeper, Kíli slid down it and into the blue water.

The brunet tensed up, but Fíli held on tight and swam slowly with Kíli.  He loosened his hold, teaching the boy to tread water and stay afloat, never drifting too far away.  Soon, Kíli could tread water and stay afloat all by himself, and could even duck down without the fear of not resurfacing.  The boys played in the water, Kíli latching onto the merboy’s shoulders as Fíli swam around the old dock, ducking under every so often for giggles.  Kíli’s laughter was infectious, Fíli bursting into bouts of giggles of his own. 

“Kíli no sink.  Fíli always come.”

“Thanks Fee.”

When Kíli got tired they swam back to the shore and lay in the sun, Fíli occasionally flicking water onto his tail to keep wet.  Fíli flipped his wet tail into Kíli’s lap in invitation, cooing when the brunet scratched along the length of it.  Kíli told the blond stories while Fíli listening with rapt attention, even though Kíli was talking far too quickly for the sleepy blond to keep up with. 

When Fíli’s tail became itchy, the boys scooted down so they were lying with their bottom halves submerged in the water.  They began pointing out cloud shapes, both drifting off into a light sleep curled together with Fíli’s tail draped over the both of them.

Kíli woke first, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a yawn.  He noticed Fíli’s tail draped across his legs and smiled, reaching down in the water to scratch at it lightly.  The blond made a cooing noise, cracking his eyes open and stretching his arms over his head.

“M’hungry,” Kíli muttered, Fíli nodding in agreement as he rolled down into the water fully.  Kíli giggled when the blond splashed him, reaching down to send a wave towards the already soaked merboy.

Fíli stopped suddenly, cocking his head to the side like a dog.  His head swiveled to look down the beach and Kíli could hear his mother’s voice calling him home.

“Time for lunch!” Kíli told the blond, straightening up and squinting down the beach.  Fíli gave him a puzzled look, his eyes widening when Kíli rubbed his stomach.  Fíli chirped something in his own language, rubbing his own stomach and getting a confirming nod from Kíli.

The little brunet turned to head up the beach, a tug at his shorts stopping him.  Fíli held his arms up for a hug and Kíli grinned as he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Fíli in a tight squeeze.  “Thanks for helping me swim, Fee,” Kíli said into the blond’s hair, Fíli nuzzling his cheek before pulling back.

With a small wave, Fíli ducked back under the water and swam out towards the open ocean.  Kíli watched him go, giving him a big wave before heading down the beach to his mother, completely forgetting his shoes on the old dock.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously you guys, the responses to this mer!AU makes me so happy! Every time I read a comment or get the emails about kudos I turn into a puddle of happy goo. You guys are the best! 
> 
> The next chapter's theme is..."first kiss.' I'm proofreading it now and hopefully I can post it tomorrow!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard being a teenager with a crush on your best friend, especially when he's not even human!

* * *

 

“If you tip this boat, I swear you’ll be the one in the frying pan tonight,” Kíli threatened, his hands gripping tightly to the edges of the small wooden boat as he moved to sit on its’ bench.  Fíli grinned at the scowling brunet, bringing his arms up and crossing them over the edge of the boat, dipping it slightly.  Kíli’s eyes narrowed on the blond before reaching over and grabbing his fishing pole.  Turning away and ignoring the merman, Kíli cast his line and waited.

“Kíliiii,” Fíli sang, bobbing his tail and causing the boat to rock up and down.  “Don’t be mad.”

Kíli ignored the merman and kept his eyes focused on the horizon.  His line bobbed with the waves Kíli’s shoulders slumping as he wondered how long he’d be out there before he could catch something worth keeping.

The teenager noticed how quiet it was, his mood sinking even further at the thought of Fíli leaving.  He turned to look behind him and sure enough, Fíli was nowhere to be seen. 

“Shit,” Kíli cursed at himself, reeling his line in and throwing the fishing pole onto the bottom of the boat before burying his head in the knees.  The brunet took a few deep breaths, trying to pull himself together.  Fíli would probably avoid him now and Kíli cursed himself again for leaving the shell whistle behind in his bedroom.

Things had been a little strange with Fíli lately, now that Kíli was so very aware of how much the blond’s touch had started to affect him.  One of Fíli’s favorite things to do was swim with the brunet, particularly on his back with Kíli resting on his chest.   Kíli had loved it too, and he still did, letting Fíli do what he did best and enjoying the ride.  Though over the past few weeks, Kíli had started to enjoy it more than he thought he should.

The fifteen-year-old had tried to distance himself from the blond after that, staying on the dock or only swimming with him for a small amount of time.  Fíli had given him strange looks, a mixture of sadness and confusion at the odd behavior.  Kíli had even tried to avoid the ocean all together, keeping busy at home or in the shops in town.  It hadn’t lasted long, a week at the most, before he was back on the docks watching for Fíli.   The blond had approached him happily, as if Kíli had never been gone. 

It was at that moment, when Fíli surfaced with the biggest smile and happy croon of Kíli’s name, that the brunet decided it didn't matter.  It didn't matter he had a crush on his best friend, who was also of a different species.  It didn't matter that Kíli would forever have to keep his feelings to himself, as long as Fíli kept smiling and coming to meet him. 

It didn’t matter, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.

Fíli’s playfulness earlier had been normal, but seeing the happy smile and bright eyes, Kíli wanted nothing more than to lean over the edge of the boat and kiss the blond.  He couldn’t of course, and that thought had his heart hurting and mood darkening.  He knew he shouldn't have snapped at the blond, but it was too late now and Fíli was long gone.

Kíli raised his head when he felt drops of water, thinking maybe Fíli had come back and was splashing him to get his attention.  To his disappointment, the sky had darkened out of nowhere and rain had started to fall.  Kíli frowned, leaning over to secure the oars in place before starting to row home.  The wind started to pick up as well, and now Kíli was battling both steady rain and churning ocean.  With a growl Kíli fought against the waves, gripping the oars so tight he felt the skin on his hands breaking as the waves ripped at the oars.   After a particularly large wave Kíli let go, falling back on his ass with a pained shout.

“Of course,” he moaned, his shorts and sleeveless shirt now completely drenched in the cold rain.  A cold rain was unusual for this time of year, and when it was pouring down this hard it felt like small needles piercing his skin. Kíli belatedly thinks the ocean is probably warmer than the rain, and that thought gives him a bright idea as he leans to the side and starts rocking the boat to try and tip it over. 

_“At least under the stupid boat I won’t get pelted with the rain,”_ Kíli thinks as he rocks from side to side, trying to lean too heavily on one side but not having the weight.  With a frustrated sigh he jumps into the water, grabbing the edge and leaning up on it like Fíli had playfully done earlier.  The waves crashing around him are wearing his energy down quickly, and though he leans all of his weight onto the edge he still can’t get it to tip.

Kíli realizes now what a stupid plan this was, because now he’s stuck hanging off the side of the boat with waves constantly crashing around him.  Spitting out the water he’s swallowed on accident, Kíli tries to lift his body onto the boat one last time.  Jumping onto the side heavily, another pair of hands shoots out and mirrors his own, Fíli’s body leaning on the boat next to him.  They manage to tip the resilient thing, Kíli ducking under the waves to avoid being smacked with the edge that comes crashing down towards them.

Fíli’s hands dart out to grab him, dragging him up into the small cave they’ve created.  Kíli gasps heavily, reaching up to hold onto the now upside-down bench above him.  Fíli watches him with alert eyes, looking up and around at the small shelter they’ve created.

“Not bad, huh?” Kíli says finally, adjusting his grip and leaning tiredly on his own arm hanging in the air.  Fíli watches him, frowning when Kíli moves back a bit as he advances.  Ducking down so just his eyes are above the water, Fíli stares at him with a hurt look.

“Sorry, Fee. It’s just…have you ever…forget it.” Kíli deflates with a sigh, clearly insane for trying to explain his behavior.  He adjusts his grip again, his arms starting to lose feeling from being held above his head.  Fíli’s eyes dart from his face to his arms, his brow furrowing as he makes the connection.  Kíli gives him a tired smile, dismissing the concern lingering in deep blue eyes.  “I’m okay.”

He most certainly is not okay, but he won’t be telling Fíli that.  He glances around their shelter, grimacing when he realizes his fishing pole is now resting at the bottom of the ocean.  He takes small comfort in knowing that at least it wasn’t his favorite one.

The strain on the muscles in his arms brings him zipping back to his present predicament and the brunet has to drop his hold on the bench with a wince and tread water instead.  This seems to be Fíli’s breaking point, and with a glare at Kíli he comes closer, daring the human with his eyes to protest.  Kíli just watches warily as Fíli swims right next to him, reaching out to wrap his arms around the brunet’s waist and hold him up.

Kíli, like always, relaxes automatically and looks down to where Fíli’s arms are holding him.  He feels his legs tangle with Fíli’s tail, looking up to notice they’re now only a breath away.  Kíli’s heart stutters, breath catching in his chest at how close they are.  “Fíli…” Kíli whispers, Fíli’s eyes softening at the blush creeping along Kíli’s nose.  Before the brunet can pull away, Fíli is leaning forward and closing the distance between them.

Cool lips press against his hesitantly and Kíli freezes.  The thousand thoughts rushing through his mind all disappear and the only thing he can think about is the he feel of Fíli’s lips on his own.   When he doesn't respond right away Fíli pulls back, eyes wide with worry as he makes a small whimpering noise.  The scared look shakes something inside Kíli and he reaches out, tangling his hands in blond locks and pulling him into another kiss.

Fíli responds with just as much vigor, and when they break away they’re both panting heavily.

“Fíli, you don't have to—”

“Want this. Like Kíli,” Fíli whispers, pulling Kíli to him and urging the brunet to wrap his legs around his waist.  Kíli goes along as prompted, reaching up with one hand to grab the bench and change his angle.  Fíli’s hands come up to rest on the thighs around his hips, moving back and innocently holding onto Kíli’s bottom.  Kíli’s free hand grips Fíli’s hair, guiding the blond back into a heated kiss.

Fíli moans softly when Kíli’s tongue enters his mouth, slanting their heads and deepening the kiss as he flicks his tail absently and they surge out of the water.  Kíli bangs his head on the bottom of the boat, breaking away with a pained moan that quickly dissolves into laughter.  Fíli’s own chuckles soon follow as Kíli wraps his arms around the blond’s shoulders and squeezes tightly.

Fíli leans back, keeping his tail below them as he adjusts Kíli onto his chest in his favorite position.  Kíli hums happily against the blond’s chest, unable to wipe the grin off his face.  Fíli cards his fingers through Kíli’s chocolate locks, humming a soft tune as they wait out the storm.

After a while Kíli turns his head, propping it up in Fíli’s chest.  The blond looks down at him and gives him a smile that Kíli is more than happy to return.

“Kíli happy?” Fíli wonders aloud and Kíli’s smile grows.

“The happiest.”

After a long while Fíli drops his tail and Kíli slips from his relaxed position.  Pressing a chaste kiss to the brunet’s lips, Fíli ducks under the water and disappears to check the storm.  Kíli can’t shake the idiotic grin plastered across his face as he waits for Fíli to return. 

The blond pops up behind him suddenly and presses a kiss to the back of Kíli’s neck, grabbing his hand and motioning for the brunet to go under the water.  Kíli sucks a breath in and before he knows it they’re outside the small boat cave, heavy storm clouds replaced with wispy orange and pink ones.

The brunet treads water happily, Fíli resting his chin on the brunet’s shoulder and wrapping his arms around Kíli’s middle.  Kíli turns to the side and finds Fíli’s mouth, leaning back to kiss the blond as they watch the sun begin to set.

“Fíli happy with Kíli,” the blond murmurs into his ear, Kíli leaning back into the embrace with a dopey grin as he murmurs his agreement.  The brunet turns his attention back to the overturned boat, sighing loudly at the thought of getting it back to shore.  Fíli noses into his hair in question and Kíli giggles at the tickling sensation.

“We’re going to have fun trying to get that thing back,” he muses, nodding to the boat before turning to place a kiss on Fíli’s cheek.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last update on this story this week. I'm writing an Anders/Mitchell that's been floating around in my head and I'm having the worst time proofreading it! I think I need a beta...
> 
> Anyways, thanks for all the encouragement and wonderful words! I'm always happy to hear what you think!
> 
> The next chapter will most likely have more angst, I'm thinking a fight or maybe a captured Fíli, I haven't decided yet. I get so many good ideas reading your comments!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get into a fight and Kíli ends up doing something stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!!! *throws confetti into the air* 
> 
> I was so happy with all the responses I thought I'd post this early. I had to go with the fight chapter because the capture one keeps getting longer and longer. I've got more ideas too, so I might continue this for a while longer than I originally thought. I'm finding myself awfully attached to these two.
> 
> This chapter takes place a few weeks before the first, so Fíli can't use his trick to give Kíli underwater breathing yet. And a bit more Dwalin and Thorin!

* * *

 

Fíli swam quickly along the ocean floor, weaving in and out through the kelp that swayed in the current.  His face is set in a frown as he darts through plants and around rocks.  He approached the nest, swimming past all the others quickly as he headed for his own small cave in the large rock wall.  Slipping past Dwalin, Fíli ducked into a crack in the shelf wall, grabbing a rock from the seafloor before swimming up to the cave above.

As he broke the surface he hurled the rock across the cave, listening to it clatter along the small ledge above the water.  With a growl, he dove back down and began swimming in agitated loops.  Someone came up behind him and Fíli whirled around, lashing out with his fist only to have it caught in a tight grasp.

“Uncle,” he huffed, shaking his hand free and trying to calm down, though the twitch in his tail was a dead giveaway to how upset he was.

“Is something ailing you?” Thorin asked lightly, knowing Fíli was never one to talk about his problems aloud unless prompted to.  Fíli resumed his agitated circles, picking things from the shelf and moving them without realizing what he was doing.  Thorin watched him, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes on the blond.

“It’s that human, isn’t it?  The one that’s always causing you trouble.” Thorin’s voice cut sharply, Fíli stilling his movements and turning slowly to face his uncle.  Cerulean eyes locked with Thorin’s deep blue as Fíli shook his head in a dismissing gesture.

“Of course not,” he lied, swimming over to his uncle and giving him a bland look.  “I just have no patience at the moment, Uncle.”

“You lie.” Thorin accused easily, Fíli deflating slightly when he realized he never had a chance lying to his uncle.

“I’ve told you before just as Balin has as numerous times, humans are selfish and only know betrayal and destruction.  This _friendship_ you share will lead to nothing but pain and your own demise.”

“That’s not true!” Fíli gritted out, the need to protect Kíli against his uncle coming from deep inside his heart.  Not five minutes ago Fíli was cursing the brunet in his head, but now he’s defending him against his uncle’s cruel stereotypes.

“It is, Fíli.  You may think he is different but being friends with that boy will give you nothing but trouble.  You need to cut ties with him as soon as—”

“Enough!” Fíli shouted, stopping Thorin’s rant as he brushed past the elder on his way out of the cave.  He turned back before ducking out, fixing his uncle with a hard glare.

“You may see it as nothing, but Kíli is more important to me than you could ever know. I’d die for him.” Fíli said gravely, ducking out of the cave and into the open water. 

Thorin remained motionless for a few seconds before sighing heavily.  Fíli was far too invested in the human and Thorin was truly afraid for his nephew.  It was the first time he’d heard Fíli speak the boy’s name, Kíli, and he know the blond would be agitated when he realized his slip up.  Thorin had never known a human to be an ally, for they were all greedy and predictable. 

 

With a deep sigh, the king headed out of Fíli’s cave to find Dwalin for his council.

* * *

 

Fíli swam aimlessly through the deep, heading in the direction of the sunken ship not far from the nest.  He used to play there as a boy, the old ship bringing him the comfort and familiarity he needed.  He glanced up, noting absently that the sun was not shining down into the water, replaced with dark gray clouds.

Nearing the ship Fíli swam along the side until he reached the broken boards that created an entrance.  He ducked inside, swimming lazily into the hull and settling against the hard wood floor.   Glancing up at the small fish darting around, Fíli frowned as he thought about his earlier fight with Kíli.

_“C’mon Fíli,” Kíli laughed, reaching out to the blond only to have Fíli duck away.  The brunet snorted, reaching forward again and missing the merman, almost tumbling into the water with a splash.  Fíli swam below the waves, ducking around the support poles holding the dock up._

_“Please, Fíli, come up and sit with me.” Kíli pleaded, sitting back on the dock and crossing his legs in front of him.  Fíli surfaced a few feet away, sending a glare towards the brunet before looking to the beach._

_They weren’t on their usual dock and a few people were mulling about a little further down the beach.  Kíli wanted the blond to come sit up on the dock with him, but Fíli flatly refused to come up in front of others._

_“No one’s even paying attention to us!” Kíli said, exasperated, though Fíli just stared at the brunet.  When he realized Fíli wasn't going to budge, Kíli flopped onto his back and threw an arm over his eyes._

_“Kíli come in water,” Fíli said from below the dock, Kíli huffing at him without removing his arm._

_“I always go in the water with you. I don't feel like swimming today,” Kíli said grimly, the blond noticing something strange lacing his tone.   Fíli flicked water up at the brunet, causing Kíli to roll onto his hands and knees._

_“Whatever. If you want to be a baby about it I’m going home,” Kíli bit out, standing up and heading down the dock.  Fíli narrowed his eyes and sped along the dock to match Kíli’s stride._

_“I’m not baby.  Kíli is child!”_

_“No you are!  All I asked was for you to come sit with me, but you’re too good to come sit with the likes of a lowly human,” Kíli spat, picking his pace up and nearly jogging down the dock.  Fíli’s eyes widened before he hissed at Kíli’s back._

_“And have humans stare?  Fíli doesn't belong on land and Kíli doesn’t belong in sea.  Stop trying to change it.” Fíli growled out evenly, clamming up when he saw Kíli’s shoulders hunch up.  The brunet stopped at the end of the dock, Fíli watching him reach a hand up to his face._

_“You’re right,” Kíli said brokenly, not bothering to turn around and finish the fight.  He took off down the beach, leaving Fíli floating in anger and confusion under the dock.  The clouds grew darker overhead, Fíli huffing angrily before ducking under the water and speeding home._

Fíli shook his head, trying to think back on when he first noticed Kíli’s mood change.  The brunet had been subdued all day and hadn’t gotten in the water at all, which was very unusual. 

Fíli rolled to his stomach, perking up when his ears caught the faint sound of a whistle.  He scrambled out of the ship, pausing out in the open water to listen for the noise.   It cut through the sea almost frantically and before he knew it Fíli was rushing in the direction of the sound. 

As he got closer to the surface he noticed how big the waves were, realizing there was a storm raging on the surface.  He followed the whistle to the docks, frowning at the thought of Kíli calling to him where so many people were about.

Breaking the surface a few feet from the dock, Fíli’s eyes widened when he saw Kíli’s mother sitting on the dock, tears streaming down her face.  Fíli quickly closed the distance, leaning up on the dock next to the crying woman.  Dís jumped slightly when she saw Fíli next to her, throwing her arms around the blond.

“Do you know where Kíli is?” She sobbed, pulling back and looking into Fíli’s blue eyes.  The merman shook his head, his arm coming up to grasp her shoulder.

“Kíli?”

“He never came home!  I knew I shouldn't have left him alone today, but I thought he was coming to see you and I…” Dís broke off, burying her face in her hands as her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs.  Fíli tried to process what she said, not completely understanding.

“I didn't think he’d go near the water today,” Dís said softly, Fíli hauling himself out of the water to sit next to her on the dock.  He grabbed her hand, urging the woman to continue.  “Kíli’s father died ten years ago today, lost at sea.  He always has a tough time going near the water today.”

Fíli’s eyes widened at the news, Kíli’s behavior from earlier now making sense.  No wonder the brunet didn't want to get in the water today, his father had perished at sea.  Fíli held tighter to the hand in his grasp, making crooning noises to try and sooth the woman.  Dís wiped at her eyes with her free hand, turning to face the blond merman with a worried look.

“His boat is gone from the dock, I think Kíli’s out in the storm,” She confessed, her face crumbling as she began to cry anew.

A shout drew Fíli’s attention from the sobbing woman as a man headed towards them on the dock.  Fíli narrowed his eyes protectively before he recognized the man running down to them.

“Dís, what in the name of the gods are you doing out here!” Bofur shouted over the wind, glancing around the woman at the blond.  His brow furrowed in confusion, Dís turning to him with a cry.

“Kíli isn’t with Fíli, we don't know where he’s gone.”

Bofur shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts as he urged Dís to stand.  He turned back to Fíli and gave him a sharp nod.

“You go find that reckless idiot, you hear me?  If he’s taken the boat, he’s headed south along the cliffs.” Bofur shouted against the wind, though Fíli heard him perfectly.  He reached out for Dís’ hand, tugging it lightly to get her attention.  The brunette woman looked down at the merman, a fierce look in his blue eyes.

“Fíli find Kíli.  Keep him safe.” He promised and with Dís’ nod he slipped back into the churning water, swimming as fast as he could towards the cliffs.

As the blond swam, he ran everything through his head again and berated himself for not noticing Kíli’s pain earlier.  His own harsh words echoed back to him, causing the blond to feel even worse than he already did.  He was so wrapped up in trying to find Kíli that he failed to notice Dwalin come up next to him.

“What's the matter?” The warrior asked, reaching out to grab Fíli’s arm and stop his frantic pace.  Fíli let out a hiss, gnashing his teeth at the elder.

“Not now!” He growled, moving to push past the warrior only to have Dwalin move in front of him.  Fíli’s hands itched to lash out, but he knew that would only delay him further.

“Fíli, what is it?”

“It’s Kíli, I have to find him,” Fíli bit out, his tail twining impatiently as he waiting for Dwalin to move.  The bald man raised his brow and Fíli shouted angrily.

“The human!  My human! He is missing in the storm and I must find him!” Fíli cried, his eyes pleading with Dwalin to understand.  The warrior took one last look at Fíli’s distressed face before moving aside and following the young blond.

“Where was he last seen?” Dwalin asked gruffly and Fíli racked his frazzled brain to come up with the answer.

“He was in a boat, probably heading south towards the cliffs,” Fíli answered, worry creeping into his voice.  The cliffs were where legends of mermaids came alive, their sharp rocks and shallow reefs an easy place to run aground.

“I’ll find Thorin and dispatch a few others to widen the search,” Dwalin said, and Fíli couldn't be more grateful.  “Stay safe.” The bald warrior said before peeling off towards deeper waters.

Fíli focused on the looming rocks ahead of him, swimming up to the surface and trying to peer around the waves.  He called Kíli’s name, ducking under to avoid the large waves before resurfacing every few feet to look for the brunet or his boat.  As he swam around the cliffs he noticed a few pieces of wood floating around that caused his heart to freeze in his chest.  Fíli swam towards the cropped rocks, letting out an urgent whine as he sifted through the debris.

“KÍLI!” He shouted, his voice almost being drowned out by the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.  He was about to duck back under when he noticed a flash of red against the rocks.  His heart stopped in his chest, automatically assuming the worst as he carefully drifted closer. 

He gave a relieved shout when he noticed the red was from Kíli’s shorts, the brunet huddled against a rock as he tried to hold on tight and avoid being swept away.  Fíli ducked under the water, swimming down deep until he got to the rock Kíli was perched on.  Bracing himself he shot up, calling Kíli’s name as he broke through the surface.

“Kíli!”

Kíli’s head whipped up, Fíli’s heart breaking when he noticed the scratches along the brunet’s face and arms.  Blood was oozing along a gash on the human’s forehead and Fíli knew he needed to work fast.

“Fee?” Kíli slurred, his eyes trying to focus through the spray of the waves on the blond.  Kíli crawled to the edge of the rock, smiling slightly at the sight of the blond.

“I’m sorry,” his smile crumbled, tears mixing with the blood on his face and washing down into the ocean. “Sorry about before, you were right.”

“Kíli okay.  Come Kíli,” the blond shouted, nerves making his speech even more choppy and broken.  Kíli reached out to him, but Fíli couldn't get close enough to the brunet without fear of slamming up against the rocks.  Kíli made a fearful noise, refusing to break eye contact with the blond. 

Another wave slammed against the rocks and Kíli fell backwards.  Fíli surged forward, shouting into the wind.

“Jump!  Kíli jump!”

“I can’t!  I won’t make it!” Kíli cried fearfully, but Fíli kept insisting.

“Jump!  Fíli catch.  _Keep you safe_!”

With a small nod, Kíli crawled to the edge of the rocks and stood shakily, his brown eyes locking with deep blue.  Fíli nodded to him, bringing his arms up and forcing his tail down to try and anchor him in place.

With a deep breath, Kíli jumped into the ocean, his head going under as he tumbled in the waves.  Fíli lurched forward, grabbing the brunet’s arm and dragging him away from the jagged rocks.  He dragged them both to the surface, Kíli gulping down air and flailing his arms to stay afloat.  Fíli kept his hold, pulling the brunet close and nuzzling him as the waves bobbed them both up and down. 

With a sigh, Kíli relaxed a bit in Fíli’s hold, wrapping arms and legs around the blond.  Out of nowhere, Dwalin surfaced next to Fíli and motioned him under.  Fíli shook his head, keeping his hand on Kíli’s head as he held him to his shoulder.

“It's getting worse, we have to go under.” Dwalin informed, ignoring the fearful eyes Fíli shot to him.

“He won’t make it that far,” Fíli argued, but Dwalin began tugging him further from the shore.

“He doesn’t have a choice.  You can’t take him back in this weather so we have to take him home,” Dwalin said, dragging Fíli along.  “Keep him above as long as you can then dive and swim as fast as you can.”

Fíli nodded uneasily, looking down at Kíli’s brown hair.  The brunet hadn’t said a word since he jumped and when Fíli looked his eyes were shut tight against the salty water.  The blond followed Dwalin as he led them to just above the reef, speaking to Kíli softly in his own language.  Kíli just held on tight, burying his face in Fíli’s neck and whimpering as he was tossed about.

“We’re here,” Dwalin grunted, looking to Fíli and holding his gaze.  “I’ll go clear the others out, you get him safe.”  With a curt nod, Dwalin disappeared under the rolling waves as Fíli readied himself.  Nudging Kíli lightly, the blond urged him from where he was nestled.

“Trust me?” Fíli asked, far more confident than he felt.  Kíli didn't hesitate a beat, his answer coming as quickly as the waves washed over the two of them.

“Of course.”

“Take deep breath, close eyes,” Fíli instructed, feeling Kíli tighten his hold. “Don’t let go.”

With once last look at the blond, Kíli closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Fíli pulled them under the water, swimming faster than he’d ever swam before towards their nest.  He felt Kíli fidget in his arms, hoping to the gods he would make it to the cave.

Kíli’s eyes opened in a panic, Fíli realizing his deep breath wasn't going to be enough.  He slowed slightly, pressing their lips together and forcing a breath of oxygen into Kíli’s lungs.  With a burst of speed, Fíli darted past Dwalin and into the cave, banging his tail harshly on the rock in his haste to get them towards the pocket of air.  When they broke the surface, Kíli took a huge breath and sagged in Fíli’s hold, a strangled laugh forcing its’ way from his lips.

“Kíli okay? Kíli?” Fíli worried, swimming them over to the ledge sticking out and carefully laying the brunet down.  He loomed over him uncertainly, a smile crossing his features when Kíli lifted his hands up to bring Fíli down flush against him.

“Fíli, you saved me!  Fíli Fíli Fíli” The brunet laughed, hugging the blond tightly and cradling him between his legs.  Fíli gave a happy laugh, his smile falling when he noticed the gash still bleeding on Kíli’s head.  Kíli noticed his frown, reaching a hand up to feel the wound and wincing as he pulled his bloody hand away.

“Oops,” Kíli grinned sheepishly, starting slightly when Fíli began to lick away the blood.  With a grimace he pushed at Fíli’s shoulders to get him to back off.  “Fíli, that’s gross!”   Fíli just brought his tail up to lie across the brunet, pinning him to the ground and halting his attempts at moving.

Once the wound was cleaned Fíli rolled off the brunet and into the water, popping up to give him a stern look.  “Stay!”  Kíli laughed, staying on his back and staring up at the high ceiling of the cave.  Minutes passed by as he waited for Fíli, and with a sigh he rolled to his side to face the water.  He looked down at the smooth surface he was laying on, noticing that it seemed to have been scraped down and smoothed out.  _‘Most likely so it wouldn’t damage Fíli’s scales,’_ Kíli mused.  Moving his eyes back up to glance across the cave.

Brown eye widened when he saw a pair of unfamiliar eyes staring at him from across the pool.  Kíli scrambled up, shuffling back awkwardly until his back hit the cave wall.  The angry eyes narrowed on the brunet as the large merman advanced towards him.

Before he could get any closer, Fíli appeared between them and hissed at the newcomer.  The large brunet stopped his advance, eyeing the blond up before glancing behind him to Kíli again.  Fíli hissed viciously again, barking out harsh sounding words in his own language.  The larger merman responded in an even tone and Fíli’s shoulders relaxed slightly when the large brunet ducked down and didn't resurface.

Fíli dove down for a few seconds, coming back up and throwing a bundle onto the rock ledge.  He then hefted himself up onto the ledge and scooted closer to Kíli with a bit of difficulty.  Kíli watched with an amused expression before crawling closer to the merman.

“You look like a beached whale,” Kíli offered, receiving a smack to his arm when he got close enough.  He chuckled when Fíli turned to give him his back as he worked the bundle open.  Kíli leaned against the blond, resting his chin on the naked shoulder and nosing into his neck.  Fíli hummed lightly, leaning back into Kíli’s embrace and turning his head to the side and exposing his neck further.  Kíli pressed little kisses to the merman’s throat, humming happily against his skin.

After a while Fíli turned in the embrace, sticking a finger in the salve he had pulled out and smearing it onto Kíli’s cuts, laughing when Kíli winced.

Unbeknown to the two teens, Dwalin and Thorin watched them from just below the surface.  The brunet with a permanent scowl on his face while Dwalin wore a smug smile.

“Cheer up, it could be worse,” Dwalin commented with a grin, Thorin giving him a flat look in response.

“How?  How could it possibly be any worse?” He grit out, his eyes moving to watch Fíli lift his tail and place it in the human’s lap, cooing happily when the boy scratched it lightly.

“He could be unhappy forever, never finding someone to share that with,” Dwalin said quietly, drawing a sigh from Fíli’s uncle.

“I supposed you’re right,” Thorin mused, the beginnings of a majestic pout crossing his face.  “Does it have to be a human, though?”

Dwalin laughed, giving the brunet a shake of the shoulder before swimming off out of the cave.  Thorin sighed again before letting out a low whistle, knowing Fíli would hear it from where he sat. 

Sure enough, the blond’s head whipped around to glare at the water, his eyes finding his uncle instantly.  Fíli’s eyes softened when he saw his uncle give him an accepting nod before disappearing under the deep water.

“He’s frightening,” Kíli whispered against his neck, causing Fíli to chuckle from both the words and the breath tickling his neck. 

“Not scary,” Fíli grinned, leaning heavily against Kíli to try and push him down into a lying position.  The brunet let out a grunt, pushing Fíli away for a minute as he shrugged out of his torn shirt.  Fíli eyed his chest appreciatively, bringing his hands up to run them up and down the hard muscles.  Kíli balled the shirt up, leaning back and resting his head on it like a pillow.

Fíli begins to hum against his skin, head pillowed on Kíli’s chest as he listens to the steady heartbeat.  The blond flicks the bottom half of his tail into the water, swirling it around lazily as Kíli’s hand runs along his side.

“Sorry,” Fíli whispers suddenly as Kíli dozes, the brunet cracking one eye open to look down at the top of Fíli’s head.  “Sorry before, no swim.”   Kíli’s hand stops tracing the blond’s side though he makes no move to speak or push Fíli off.  Fíli tenses before pressing his hands to Kíli’s uninjured chest, lifting himself up to face the brunet.

His apology gets caught in his throat when he sees Kíli smiling at him softly.  Kíli shifts his hips, rolling over gently so he hovers over the blond, Fíli’s salt drying hair fanning out behind him. 

“I’m sorry for yelling,” Kíli whispers, leaning down to press a kiss to Fíli’s cheek.  Kíli leans back with a grin, looking over his shoulder when Fíli’s tail lifts from the water to rest along his back, the flat end splaying over his other shoulder.

“Kíli—”

Whatever the blond wants to say next is cut off when Kíli grabs him tightly and rolls them off the slope and into the water.  Fíli untangles himself from Kíli, not wanting to pull him under on accident.  What he doesn't expect is for Kíli’s arms to wrap around his waist from behind, tugging upwards.  With a flick of his tail, they’re both breaking the surface and Kíli is laughing behind him. 

“I love swimming with you, Fee.” Kíli whispers into the blond’s ear, licking the shell of it in a bold move before leaning back and manhandling the merman to float on his back.  Fíli goes willingly, still stunned from Kíli’s earlier playful move.  The blond jerks back to reality when Kíli kicks his legs in a burst of strength, half jumping onto Fíli’s stomach and scrambling to lie on him lengthwise before they start to sink.

Kíli catches Fíli’s winded look before he sinks under, holding still while Fíli rolls, adjusting Kíli and completing the roll with Kíli lying comfortably on his chest.  The brunet reaches up to push his hair back from his face, shooting the merman a sly smile.

“I wanted to see if I could do it as smoothly as you can,” Kíli offers, wrapping his arms under Fíli’s and bringing his hands up to rest on the blond’s shoulders. “I’d say my attempt wasn't half bad.”

“Very bad.  Almost sank.” Fíli snorts, swimming in lazy circles around the cave.  Kíli takes it all in with wide eyes, the clearness of the water and the sparkling stones set into the cave walls.

“This place is beautiful, Fee,” Kíli says in awe, his hand reaching up to trace the cave wall when Fíli gets close enough.  Fíli hums, secretly pleased Kíli likes the spot Fíli has made his own.  Kíli rests his head on Fíli’s chest and after a few circles around the cave he is sleeping soundly.

The blond is torn, knowing he himself has no problem sleeping in the water but not knowing if humans can do it too.  He continues to swim around aimlessly as he thinks it over.  The water in the cave is warmer than usual, so Fíli doesn't think Kíli would catch a cold if he were to stay in it.  Fíli makes his mind up and swims back to the shelf, nudging the brunet softly to wake him. 

Kíli lifts his head slightly and looks around through cracked eyes before plopping back down on Fíli’s chest, snuggling in.  “Wanna stay with you.” Kíli slurs, tightening his arms around Fíli and ignoring the blond’s chuckle.

“Not in water, up now,” Fíli urges, tilting Kíli onto the slope and squeezing his butt as he pushes the brunet up onto the ledge.  Kíli gives a yelp when his ass is grabbed, scrambling up the slope and turning accusing eyes towards the blond, who is sitting up on the ledge with an innocent look.

“Not fair,” Kíli whines as he crawls back to Fíli and cuddles up to him sleepily, completely ignoring how uncomfortable his wet shorts are.  Fíli smiles down at him, moving to lay with his tail in the water and pulling Kíli to rest on his chest.  The brunet human hums happily, drifting off to sleep against the blond.

Fíli combs his fingers through Kíli’s dark locks, scratching lightly behind his ear and grinning at the happy noises the human makes in his sleep.  As he drifts off into his own sleep, Fíli wonders how they’re going to smuggle Kíli out of the cave without all the others going into a panic.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be connected with the next chapter, on how they'll get Kíli out of there. BUT I haven't written that yet so it may take a few days. 
> 
> I'm not so good at writing angst I noticed, but at least I gave it a shot. I'm a sucker for happy endings I guess.
> 
> Again...thank you for the wonderful ideas, comments, and suggestions!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli gets smuggled back onto land and Thorin and Fíli get into a bit of a fight over the brunet.

* * *

 

Kíli awakes to the sound of splashing, his face scrunching up at the sharp pain in his back.  Opening his eyes he looks around, taking in the dimly lit cavern and remembering the night before.  The brunet sits up slowly, looking around as he tries to spot the blond merman. 

“Fíli?”  He calls out, his voice echoing in the small cave and bouncing back to him.  He furrows his brow, moving onto his hands and knees and crawling to the edge of the slope as he looks down into the water.  “Fee?”

Letting out a shout Kíli reels back, falling onto his butt as Fíli comes up laughing from below.  The brunet gives him a glare, bringing his legs out in front of him and dangling them into the water.  “That wasn't funny,” Kíli pouts as the blond reaches for him.  He leans over and Fíli hooks his hands around Kíli’s neck to pull him into a kiss. 

The brunet grins into the kiss, his hands reaching down to tangle into wet blond hair.  Fíli hums as he pulls back, a frown crossing his face as he turns to look back over the water. 

The scary brunet merman breaks the surface, followed by the bald one Kíli vaguely remembers from his rescue.  The human tenses at their hard glares, Fíli feeling the movement and shooting the two mermen a glare of his own.

“What?” Fíli sighs, letting go of Kíli and placing both hands between Kíli’s legs as he lifts himself from the water.  Kíli scoots back a bit and helps the blond sit between his legs, his tail flicking idly in the water below.

The large brunet’s frown deepens at the action while the bald merman tries to control his grin.  He says something to Fíli in their musical language but the blond practically ignores him, leaning back into a tense Kíli.  Fíli answers finally, though from the way the other merman’s face falls Kíli doesn't think it’s what he wanted to hear.

The bald merman interjects something, entering an argument with the brunet.  “What’s going on?” Kíli asks as he leans down to whisper into Fíli’s ear.  The blond laughs lightly, flicking his tail and splashing the other two, who turn their attention back to the teens.

“Time to go.” The bald one, _Dwalin_ , Fíli whispers into his ear, tells them.  Fíli nods, slipping out of Kíli’s arms and into the water.  He pops back up and motions for Kíli to join him, the brunet looking wary as he slips into the cool water.

“Kíli safe.  Trust Fíli.” Fíli reassures, pulling the brunet out towards the other two.  With one last glare the large brunet, _Thorin_ , ducks under the water and disappears. 

“Plan?” Fíli asks Dwalin, the bald merman breaking out into a large grin.

“Thorin distracts others, we get him out.” Dwalin shrugs, though his grin is anything but reassuring.  Fíli sighs at the simplicity of the plan and pulls Kíli close, nodding to Dwalin.

“This is Kíli.” Fíli introduces belatedly, Dwalin’s eyes moving to stare at the brunet human.  Kíli meets his look uneasily, his easy swimming floundering under the intense glare.  Fíli grins and splashes Dwalin in the face, causing the large merman to bark a laugh.

With a curt nod to Kíli, Dwalin turns back to the blond and says something in their language.  Fíli scowls and whispers something in a heated voice, Kíli becoming even more lost.

“Kíli ready?” Fíli asks suddenly, moving behind the brunet and securing his arms around him in a steady hold.  Kíli nods, trying to relax and ready himself for the swim.  Fíli says something to Dwalin and the older nods.

“Good luck,” Dwalin says with a grin before ducking under.  Kíli’s eyes widen at the comment but before he can protest Fíli is motioning him to take a breath and pulling him under and towards the exit.

Dwalin swims beside them, helping Fíli hide the human from view as they shoot across the small underwater settlement and up towards the surface.  They break out into the air in record time, the brunet taking deep gulps of air as Fíli grins happily and hugs him close. 

With a laugh of his own, Kíli relaxes against the blond and presses a kiss to his lips.  Fíli hums happily, breaking away when Dwalin clears his throat.  Fíli gives a sheepish grin and pulls back, his own blush a complete match to Kíli’s.

Before anyone can say anything, Thorin emerges with a hard glare directed at Kíli.  The brunet human flinches back, Fíli moving slightly in front of him.

“Let’s go.” Thorin says to Fíli, though he doesn't take hard eyes off the brunet.  Fíli shakes his head and says something in his own language, Thorin cutting him off angrily.

“Come now.  Leave him.”

“No!” Fíli shouts back, his posture rigid as he faces off against this uncle.

“Enough.  Fíli go back, I take boy.” Dwalin says gruffly, Kíli’s eyes widening as Fíli reluctantly pushes him towards the bald merman. 

“Whoa, whoa, what’s going on?” Kíli protests loudly as he reaches out for Fíli, the blond shutting him up with a soft kiss on his lips in apology.

Before Kíli can protest further, Dwalin has a hold of his arm and is dragging him through the water towards the old docks, his shouts of protest getting lost in the waves.

Fíli sighs heavily, sending a glare at his uncle before diving down under the water and speeding ahead.

 

* * *

 

“Do you realize what you’ve done?  You’ve jeopardized the whole colony.” Thorin tells his nephew seriously, Fíli holding his angry glare and remaining motionless in the underwater cavern. 

“Its not like I had a choice,” Fíli grits out, his blue eyes flashing at what he thinks his uncle is about to imply.  Thorin is swimming around angrily, his dark tail lashing out in agitated flicks as he circles Fíli.

“You did have a choice though, didn't you?  You abandoned your own people for some—some human!”

“I didn't abandon _anyone_!  I saved him because he’s my friend and I couldn't leave him to die!”

“You should of left him to die!”  Thorin shouts, slowing his swimming when he sees Fíli flinch.  “You should of left him alone when you first saw him.”

“He would of died then, too.” Fíli says softly, thinking back to the night Kíli had fallen off the boat.  He shakes his head to rid those thoughts and fixes his uncle with a steady glare.  “I won’t abandon him, Uncle.  I couldn’t then and I won’t now.”

“Fíli please, you must realize that this _relationship_ isn’t going to work,” Thorin sighed, his patience wearing thin.  “You need to make a connection with someone here, someone who isn’t _human_.”

“It’s too late, Uncle,” Fíli forces out, his eyes stinging at how his uncle is taking this.  He knew Thorin the king wouldn't be happy, but as his uncle Fíli had hoped it would be different.  “I think he’s my one.”

“He’s not _your_ anything!  He’s a burden you’ve taken upon yourself, one that can easily be taken care of.  You need to think of your future!”

Fíli whirls on his uncle, sharp teeth snapping in a threatening manner.  His eyes are bleeding to complete black and Thorin flinches back slightly.

“Kíli’s my _one_ and if you or anyone else tries to hurt him, I won’t hesitate to protect what’s mine.”

Fíli darts out of the cavern, pushing roughly past an incoming Dwalin and heading towards the surface.  The bald man calls out to him, his eyes narrowing in the direction of Thorin’s cavern when he’s ignored.

“I thought you were okay with this, or at least dealing with it.” Dwalin comments to the brunet as he leans into the cavern, Thorin’s eyes narrowing on the merman without any real heat.

“I don't want this for him,” Thorin sighs, shaking his head and swimming back and forth in an agitated manner.

“It doesn't matter what you want, my friend.  This is Fíli’s life.”

Thorin grimaces as the truth is thrown at him again, no longer able to ignore it.  He gives a huff and turns to his friend.  “He threatened me, you know?  I don't doubt he’ll follow through, if that boy is harmed.” Thorin grunts, pointedly ignoring Dwalin’s victorious grin as he goes to swim out of the cavern.

“I still don't like this.”

“You don’t really have a choice.”

* * *

  

Kíli lies on the beach, half his body submerged in the water as he waits for Fíli.  After Dwalin dumped him on the beach, the brunet just laid in the surf in a state of shock.  He knows Fíli will come back, even is he has to come to the docks everyday and wait.

It seems he doesn't have to wait long though, sitting up quickly when he hears splashing coming from the water.  Fíli emerges from the deep, hissing and focusing his black eyes on the brunet as he swims up to the beach.  Kíli’s eyes widen at the sight and he scrambles back a few feet onto the sand.

Fíli hisses to himself at the fear he can see in Kíli’s brown eyes, the brunet misunderstanding the noises and crawling up the beach even further.

“Keeeee,” the blond whines, his voice garbled with a strange musical quality.  Fíli snaps his mouth shut quickly, knowing what’s happening and not in the right mind to stop himself.  He shuffles back into the water, curling up into a ball just below the surface and digging sharp nails into his scalp.

Kíli watches the blond with wide eyes, not understanding what’s going on but realizing the blond is in pain.  Slowly crawling back down the beach, Kíli approaches the blond and slips his hand under the water to card through Fíli’s hair.

The blond flinches before looking up, the black fading from his eyes and leaving behind a watery blue.  Kíli gives him a smile, leaning down into the water and pulling the blond up into a hug.

“You’re okay, Fíli.  We’re going to be okay.” Kíli soothes Fíli while resting his head upon the blond’s.  Fíli’s arms wrap around Kíli’s waist as he tries to think of what had just happened with his uncle.  He remembers his uncle’s angry words, how he threatened Kíli and set something off inside the blond.

Fíli is brought back to the present when Kíli shifts to fit the blond between his legs.  The brunet lies back, bringing Fíli to rest up on his chest as he runs his hands along his back.

“It doesn't matter what they think, we’re okay Fee.”

“Kíli,” the blond mumbles into his chest, hands coming up to bunch in the sand at Kíli’s side.  Kíli continues to run his hands up and down Fíli’s back, his humming sending vibrations through his chest and into Fíli’s.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Kíli whispers as he stares up into the clouds, Fíli shaking his head against him and bringing his hand up to scratch lightly at Kíli’s side.  “Okay,” the brunet grunts out in a laugh, Fíli rubbing his face into Kíli’s chest and bringing his tail up to drape over his shoulder and drip onto Kíli’s stomach.

Kíli scratches at Fíli’s scalp lightly, humming and sending the blond into a light sleep. 

“We’ll be okay, Fee, I just know it.”

* * *

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second attempt at angst in this verse! This chapter doesn't seem right, but maybe that's just me. 
> 
> I made Thorin kind of a bad guy, but he's just worried about Fíli. He'll come around...hopefully.
> 
> Oh!! I wrote a chapter with a naked!Kíli and helpful!Fíli, but I don't know if it'll be weird.
> 
> THANK YOU for all your kind words and encouragements, they make my day! This story is my favorite to update!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Young Fíli and Kíli spend a day warm on the sannnnnndddddd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post this because it didn't really end up going anywhere, but Octopusfiona mentioned Kíli teaching Fíli how to speak so here it is.
> 
> This is so short it hurts.

* * *

 

“Sssshhhhand,” Fíli hissed, his face scrunching up as he tried to pronounce the word correctly.  Kíli giggled at his side, shaking his head as he leaned over to bump his shoulder into the blond’s.

“Ssssaaaannnddddd,” the brunet said slowly, digging his hands into the warm sand and piling it up on Fíli ’s hands.  “Ssssss-and!”

“Ssssand?” Fíli tries slowly, Kíli throwing his hands out and spreading the warm sand around.

“Yes!  Good job Fee!” He praises excitedly, wiping his hands off on his shorts and reaching into the bag next to him to pull out a carrot.  He gives it to the blond and raises his eyebrows expectantly.

“Thannnk. You.” Fíli says hesitantly, popping the carrot into his mouth at Kíli’s nod.  They had been practicing speaking for a few weeks now, Kíli trying to teach the blond the human words for things and Fíli trying to parrot them back.  The merpeople had different words for different things as well, though Kíli had given up trying to speak Fíli’s language before he really tried.  It was too musical and too different, so Fíli decided he would learn more of Kíli’s words.

Fíli flicks his tail where it’s lying in the water, sending the cool splash up onto his and Kíli’s back.  The brunet giggles, rolling onto his back and budging up against Fíli.  When the blond does the motion again, Kíli reaches out into the spray.

“Water!”

“Waaterr,” Fíli repeats, turning to look over his shoulder as Kíli crawls down to dip his hands in the clear liquid.  Fíli sneaks a carrot from the bag and munches on it with a grin while Kíli cups his hands and pours the water over Fíli’s back and tail.

The blond merboy hums happily at the feeling, his tail absently flicking back and forth in the water.  Kíli watches it with an amused smile, checking to make sure Fíli isn’t looking before jumping on it.

Fíli is reaching for another carrot when he feels a weight on his tail, whipping his head around and seeing Kíli straddling the scaly appendage with a wild grin.  Fíli flicks the end up suddenly so it bops Kíli in the face lightly, the brunet letting out a small yelp as he tumbles off into the sand on his back.

Fíli moves quickly, rolling onto his back and pinning Kíli to the sand with his tail.  The brunet let out a huff at the sudden weight, a laugh bubbling up as he tries to push the slick tail off his stomach.

“Feeeee,” he whines playfully, the blond pretending to ignore him while he finishes the last few carrots.  Kíli’s pushy hands begin to scratch lightly at the scales in a new tactic, Fíli letting out a happy gurgle as he leans up to watch Kíli.  The small brunet reaches his hands to the side and dips them in the surf, reaching back around to rub along the shining green scales of Fíli’s tail.  He rubs his hands everywhere he can reach, Fíli lifting it off his stomach a few inches so he can reach under it.

“Gotta keep it wet,” Kíli recites to himself, dunking his hands once again and bringing them along the smooth scales.  “Like that, Fee?”

The blond is watching him with a dazed look, nodding his head distractedly as he collapses back onto the sand.  Kíli laughs at him, shoving the tail off his stomach and ignoring Fíli’s cry as he crawls up to lay across the blond’s stomach.

Fíli grunts at the weight, bringing his hands up to fist Kíli’s shirt.  Kíli feels the small tug and turns his head to the side to speak clearly.

“That’s my shirt, ssshhhirrrttt,” he tells Fíli, scrambling up onto his knees and peeling the blue fabric off and holding it out to the blond.  Fíli leans up, shifting his tail under him slightly as he reaches for the shirt.

“Sssshhhhhurrrr.”

“Ssshhhhiiiirrrrtttt!”

“Ssshhhhirrrrtttt!” Fíli parrots back, holding the fabric up and trying to figure out how it works.  Kíli laughs when the blond sticks his arm in the opening for his head, reaching out to help Fíli put it on.  After a few minutes Fíli as it on correctly, a wide grin in place as he runs his hands down the soft fabric.

“Looks good on you, Fee.” Kíli says with a nod, the blond looking up and giving Kíli a happy smile.  Fíli rolls down into the surf, submerging himself fully and swimming a few laps around the dock while Kíli scrambles up and onto the pier.  Running down to the end he spots the blue fabric of his shirt, shouting Fíli’s name as he jumps off the dock and into the ocean.

Closing his eyes against the slight stinging of the salt, Kíli swims up to the surface and pushes the hair from his face as he looks around for Fíli. 

“Fíliiiiii,” he sings, treading water as he looks around for the blond.  A wet splat comes from up on the dock and Kíli turns to see his shirt hanging off the end.  Fíli pops up a few feet away and gives Kíli a grin.

“Sshiirrrtt bad.” Fíli says with a shrug, swimming over to Kíli and moving in front of him.  Kíli laughs excitedly as he places his hands on Fíli’s shoulders, the blond flicking his tail and sending them speeding out towards the open water.  Kíli laughs openly at how fast Fíli can swim, the blond making large circles and dipping down every so often, grinning at Kíli’s amusement.

When Fíli heads back towards the shallow waters, Kíli moves his grip from his shoulders to around the blond’s upper torso.  “Lets be best friends, Fee.” Kíli whispers to the blond, who flips them over and gives Kíli a sunny smile and enthusiastic nod.  With a happy squeal, Kíli pushes off from Fíli and flops back into the water with a splash.  Fíli follows his movements, pushing Kíli back up to the surface with his tail.

Kíli comes up and spits water at the blond before swimming like mad towards the shore, prompting a whole new game of chase.  Fíli gives the brunet a few seconds head start before following behind and dunking a laughing Kíli under the water.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Fíli's playing up his inability to speak a little bit here...and Kíli is clueless.
> 
> I think the semi-sexy chapter will be next, followed by captured!Fíli. I've been trying to think of a way they can be intimate without my mind exploding from trying to figure out merpeople anatomy. Here's an idea...maybe the Arkenstone has the power to temporarily turn Fíli into a human, but Thorin doesn't want to tell him? Yes? No?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this last night but AO3 was being sassy so I went to bed instead. 
> 
> I tried to proofread the best I could, but there are probably still some mistakes so please ignore those...
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

 

“There he is!”

“Shit!” Kíli swore, sprinting out from behind the crate and making a dash down the road to the docks.  The three men that were following him shout loudly, spurring him to move even faster.  He curses again under his breath as he loses his sandals, his bare feet hitting the sand roughly and causing him to almost lose his balance.

“You’re so dead!”  One of the men shouts, making Kíli realize that maybe he shouldn’t of been so hasty to punch the guy.  At least he had bought time for Ori to get away, and that was worth the chase he was now a part of.

Kíli had been at the pub having dinner and trying to talk the bartender into slipping him a pint when he saw Ori come in.  Before he could even call the redhead over a man from one of the tables had approached the teen, making jokes about him and his family.  It had only taken a few seconds before Kíli was up out of his seat, across the room and between Ori and the stranger.

Kíli could feel his friend shaking against his back and he cursed Nori for sending the younger to fetch whatever he needed.  Ori was only two years younger than Kíli, but who sent their fifteen-year-old brother to a pub at night?  Kíli had tried to diffuse the situation peacefully, though that only lasted about two minutes before the loud man called the young scholar a ‘parentless bastard.’  Kíli had thrown the punch before the idiot could finish his sentence, reaching back to push Ori towards the door with a reassuring nod.

“I’ve got this, Ori.” Kíli had said calmly, waiting until the younger slipped out of the pub before assessing the situation he’d gotten himself in.  His eyes widened slightly when he realized the man was no longer alone, his odds now three to one.   The first guy threw a punch at Kíli’s face, the brunet teen dodging too slowly and getting a fist in his eye.  He stumbled back, narrowing his eyes on the men before sprinting to the door and out into the night. 

That’s pretty much what led to his current position of stumbling onto the old wooden dock and running towards the end.  His brain finally caught up with his body and he groans internally at the fact that he’s now cornered on a secluded dock.  Since when had his automatic escape plan shifted to running to the docks? 

‘ _For three years now, ever since you were fourteen and Fíli starting coming around more often_ ,’ Kíli thinks to himself with a wry smile.  The brunet had started going to the docks to escape from just about anything; chores, his mother, and bullies just to name a few.  Fíli would show up after a while, making it his mission to take Kíli’s mind off of whatever was bothering him. 

Loud shouts bring him back to the present and Kíli spits out a curse as stops at the end of the dock.  He can hear the others running down the dock and makes a snap decision, jumping into the water and thanking the gods Fíli has been helping him learn to hold his breath longer. 

He swims down in the dark water and grabs one of the posts to anchor his body under the water.  He can hear the angry shouts above and closes his eyes, trying to keep calm and hoping the men will leave before he runs out of air.

After what feels like hours Kíli grimaces when he can start to feel the burning in his lungs. The angry shouts can still be heard overhead, but before he can let go of the post to swim up a pair of cool lips press against his own and he swallows reflexively with a sigh.

Opening his eyes he can just make out the grin on Fíli’s face in the dark water.  Kíli lets go of the post with one hand and wraps it around Fíli’s head, bringing the blond in for a proper kiss.  The brunet human faces a dilemma as he kisses the blond, also trying to keep himself from floating up to the surface.  He can’t hear voices coming from above, but to be honest he isn’t really paying attention to anything but the blond he’s currently making out with.

Fíli must realize his problem because the blond begins to chuckle into the kiss, breaking away and reaching up to pull Kíli down level with himself.   The brunet looks away embarrassed but Fíli just leans in to press a kiss to his cheek. 

The blond cocks his head to the side and listens for a few seconds before grabbing Kíli’s hand and swimming towards the surface.  Kíli tugs lightly at the hand holding his own, causing Fíli to turn back towards him.  Kíli shakes his head while pointing up, trying to communicated without words.  Fíli grins and with a nod he begins to tug the brunet along again, though where they’re headed Kíli has no idea. 

The moon is almost full tonight, but the light does little for his human eyes to try and see in the dark water.  Fíli apparently has amazing night vision, Kíli adding that fact to his growing knowledge of merpeople. 

The blond merman stops suddenly, reaching over and using both hands to wrangle the shirt off of Kíli.  The brunet laughs under the water, pulling his arms free of the fabric and letting it fall to the sea floor.  He gives Fíli a strange look but is ignored as they continue swimming until Fíli slows their pace a few minutes later, swimming down a bit further as he looks for something along a huge rock wall.

They swim through a small opening, Fíli placing his free hand on Kíli’s head to keep it down and away from the sharp rocks in the small space.  They swim through the dark tunnel and Kíli can see a glow at the end coming from up ahead. 

Once they’re in open water again, Kíli’s eyes widen at the soft glow all around them.  Small schools of fluorescent fish swim around the grotto, lighting the water with pinks, blues, and greens.  They swim towards the glow up above, Kíli taking a huge breath when they break the surface. 

The entire cave is covered in glowing crystals, casting enough soft light that Kíli’s eyes adjust and he can see everything.  He treads water and takes the sight in with an open mouth, Fíli coming up behind him and resting his chin on the brunet’s shoulder.  “Surprise.”

“Fíli, this is amazing!” Kíli whisper-shouts, craning his head back to check out the walls behind them.  Fíli ducks back under the water, swimming down and snagging a few of the glowing crystals to bring up to the brunet human.  Kíli turns to him when he surfaces, his face holding a look of pure awe.  Fíli tries to pass the glowing crystals to Kíli but the brunet just lets them fall from Fíli’s hands back down below. 

Fíli watches them fall back to the seafloor and when he raises his head to give Kíli a questioning look, the brunet throws his arms around the merman and squeezes him tightly.  Fíli flops into the water unexpectedly at the sudden weight, sending them a few feet under before he rights himself.  They break the surface and Kíli is laughing loudly, pushing his hair back out of his face with a grin.

Fíli laughs with him before his eyes catch sight of Kíli’s face in the new lighting.  His smile falls instantly as he lets Kíli go, reaching up to cup his face.  The brunet flounders in the water for a few seconds without Fíli’s help before he begins to tread water smoothly, his brow rising at the blond’s actions.

“Kíli hurt?  Kíli face hurt?” The blond asks urgently and it takes Kíli a few moments before he remembers the punch he took in the pub.  He winces when he realizes his black eye must be pretty bad, pulling his head back out of Fíli’s grip.

“I’m okay.  Just a bit of a brawl.”

“Kíli hurt,” Fíli repeats, trying to look at the bruise only to have Kíli lean in and press a kiss to the blond’s worried frown.

“Kiss is better, Fee,” Kíli breathes, pulling back slightly and watching Fíli’s eyes go from his black eye to his lips.  Fíli leans in hesitantly before pressing a cool kiss to the forming bruise, Kíli letting out a content sigh.   The blond merman slips his tail between Kíli’s legs, the brunet jerking back and letting out an embarrassed noise.  Fíli furrows his brow and presses forward again, his tail brushing between the brunet’s legs and causing the human to let out a low moan.

“Fíli, don’t…” Kíli breathes, his head tipping back as his hands come up to grip the blond’s shoulders.  He tries to stop himself from rutting his growing erection against Fíli’s tail, but the blond keeps moving his tail back and forth slowly to keep them afloat.

Fíli’s eyes widen fearfully as he watches the brunet moan and when Kíli starts to rub against his tail softly Fíli’s eyes light up in sudden understanding.  When the blond pulls his tail away Kíli’s head snaps up and he pushes away from the blond with a dark blush, swimming back a few feet and ducking under the water to cool his flaming cheeks.

When he pops back up he glances around for Fíli, frowning when he doesn’t see the blond.  Before he can call out for the merman he feels a pair of hands on his shorts.  Fíli gives a sharp tug at the material and Kíli yelps loudly when his swim shorts are pulled clean off.

“Fíli, what the hell are you—”

Fíli pops up next to the brunet, a feral grin dancing in the shadows as the throws the red shorts up onto a rock sticking up across the cave.  Kíli lets out a shout as he tries to swim over and get them, Fíli moving to block his way.

Kíli spins away, ducking down so just his nose is above the water and shutting his eyes.  He’s mortified at his body’s reaction, knowing Fíli surely has no idea what’s going on.

“Kííííliiiii,” Fíli singsongs before diving under the water with a splash.  Kíli waits a few seconds and when he’s met with silence he makes a dash towards the rocks his shorts are on.  He gets a few feet before Fíli’s hands grab his hips from below and pull him down to lie flush against his own front.   Kíli has just enough time to take a breath before he’s pulled under, pushing at Fíli with insistent hands.

Fíli wraps his tail around Kíli’s legs and kisses him as they sink, the brunet keeping his mouth shut firmly against the magic.  Fíli’s insistent tongue pries his mouth open, licking along Kíli’s tongue and passing the magic as he shifts his hips against Kíli’s.  With a moan the brunet is moving against him, unable to stop sliding his hardening erection against the smooth scales of Fíli’s tail. They continue to sink to the bottom, the glowing crystals casting a rainbow of colors over their skin.  Kíli kisses along Fíli’s throat, biting down where his shoulder meets his neck.

Fíli lets out a moan of his own, the noise sounding completely different under the water.  Kíli’s eyes snap open when Fíli hesitantly wraps a hand around his erection and squeezes lightly.  A stream of bubbles escape Kíli’s mouth as he moans, throwing his head back and squeezing Fíli’s shoulders, leaving crescent nail marks in the muscles.

Fíli twists his wrist and Kíli jerks against him, trying to pin the blond to the ground but not being able to because of the weightlessness of the water.  Letting out a frustrated noise he gives Fíli a pout, pulling the blond close and resting his head on his shoulder.

“Poor Kíli, having trouble?” Fíli chuckles, releasing his hold on Kíli’s erection and almost getting his nose smashed when the brunet’s head shoots up with a glare.

“You—” An explosion of bubbles follows his words, making it impossible for the blond to understand him.  He tries to talk again but only bubbles come out, frustrating the brunet further as a scowl crosses his face.

Fíli laughs, untangling his tail from Kíli’s legs and flipping them effortlessly so Kíli is pinned to the soft sand.  He gazes up at Fíli, his dark hair floating around like a halo as the blond leans down to kiss him softly.  Fíli thrusts his tail down between Kíli’s legs, causing the brunet to pull back from the kiss and moan as he reaches around to grab where Fíli’s ass would be.

The blond lets out a moan as he slows his movements, Kíli grabbing his backside and pulling him closer to rub against him.  The brunet’s hands shift a bit lower as they scrabble for purchase on the slick scales, his finger dipping into a slight crease and along something that causes Fíli to shout a string of garbled words in both English and his own language.

“Fee, what’s…”

Fíli reaches down to hitch one of Kíli’s legs up and over his hip, pressing the brunet into the sand as he thrusts his hips against the hard erection.  Kíli lets out more bubbles as he moans, his hands shooting up to grab Fíli’s shoulders as he throws his head back into the sand and rocks against the merman.  Fíli’s hips press harder against his erection and Kíli can swear he feels a bulge against his own, though he’s so blissed out he’s not thinking clearly anymore.

Kíli’s body stills suddenly, bringing his leg down and pushing against Fíli’s chest.  The blond pulls back, eyes widening when he realizes why Kíli has such a panicked look.  Wrapping his arms around Kíli’s chest Fíli hauls them up towards the surface, Kíli’s hands clenching tight onto Fíli’s shoulders as his legs wrap around the blond.

“That was a close one,” Kíli pants against the blond’s neck as they surface, the movements of Fíli’s tail in the water causing Kíli’s erection to harden again.  “Shit,” he breathes, pulling back and looking into Fíli’s dark eyes.

“Kíli,” the blond grunts, dragging the brunet over to the small ledge cut into the wall and pushing him up to sit on it.   “Sit.”

“Fíli, what are you—holy shit!”

Kíli throws his head back when Fíli’s mouth closes over his erection.  A small noise of protest escapes his lips but Fíli ignores it, taking more of Kíli into his mouth before bobbing his head back up.  Kíli moans out the blond’s name, his fingers coming up to bury themselves in the wet blond hair and pull lightly as he hunches over the blond.

“Fee I can’t!  I’m gunna…”

Fíli bobs his head faster and with a groan Kíli comes, Fíli swallowing around him and watching with half lidded eyes before pulling off the brunet with a grin.  Kíli rests his head against the cave wall, his hands going to Fíli’s shoulders and pulling him up weakly.  Fíli chuckles and pulls Kíli forward into the water instead, the brunet too blissed out to protest much.

“Kíli sleepy?” Fíli grins, pulling the human through the water lazily and snagging his shorts from the small outcrop of rocks.  Kíli mumbles something incoherent as he pulls the shorts on with Fíli’s help, drifting onto his back next to the blond.

“Fíli, where did you learn that stuff?” Kíli asks with a blush, the blond grinning and ducking under Kíli to surface on the other side.

“Kíli like?”

“Y-yeah of course!  But you—”

“Good.  Fíli happy,” the blond murmured, leaning over Kíli to peck him on the cheek.  Kíli drops his legs down and leans into the blond for a real kiss.  Fíli hums happily, rolling Kíli onto his chest and circling the glowing cavern lazily.

When Fíli takes the brunet back to the docks, the human is missing his shirt but has the most shit-eating grin on his face as he stumbles down the beach towards his cottage.  Fíli’s got a grin of his own and a ton of questions to ask Dwalin.

 

 

* * *

 

It’s not until a few days later that Fíli approaches the bald warrior.

“You did _what_!?” Dwalin’s shocked voice echoes throughout the small cavern, Fíli’s blush darkening under the warrior’s wide-eyed stare.  Fíli makes an embarrassed keening noise and Dwalin snaps his mouth shut and gives the prince an expectant look.

“You heard me!  I did some stuff and I have a few questions,” Fíli says quietly, his refusal to meet the bald merman’s eyes and small voice remind the warrior how young the blond still is.  Dwalin runs his hand over his face and gives Fíli a suspicious look.

“Shouldn't you be telling your uncle about this?  He should be the one to—”

“No!  I can’t ask him about it, I need your help.” Fili panics, his wide eyes finally turning to Dwalin with a helpless look.  The large merman swears to himself and motions for Fíli to take a seat on the rocks at the bottom of the cavern.

“Alright I’ll help ya, but I need to know why you can’t tell your uncle.” Dwalin tells the blond as Fíli hangs his head.  “You know he was a boy your age once too, had the same problems.”

“But that’s just it, I don't think anyone’s had the same problem.”

Dwalin’s eyebrows shoot up at the confession, his mind piecing everything into place slowly as he shoots up from the rock and his wide-eyed look returns.

“You didn't!” 

Fíli wrings his hands nervously at the question, turning nervous eyes to Dwalin as he tries to change tactics.  “How do you know if someone is your one?”

“Your one?  Don’t you change the subject, Fíli.  Did you have sex with the human boy?”

“No!  Well maybe, but I don't think so!”

“You don't think so?” Dwalin deadpans, thinking of all the places Thorin could bury his body if he found out what Fíli was telling him.

“We didn't…we were just messing around and rutting against each other, and I used my mouth, too.” Fíli admits with a blush, burying his face into his hands and missing the relieved look on Dwalin’s face.

“If it was only rutting then you didn't have sex, trust me.  When it happens, you’ll know.”

“But his hands grabbed my backside and his finger…” Fíli trails off as a new blush blooms on his face at the memory.  Dwalin tries not to laugh at how uncomfortable the blond is, but a few chuckles escape and have Fíli hiding his face again.

“He found a crease and a hole,” Dwalin finishes bluntly, smirking to himself as Fíli nods into his arms.  “I don't see what the problem is,” Dwalin says gruffly, swimming over to sit next to the blond and nudge his shoulder.

Fíli lifts his face up and Dwalin notices some of the redness has receded.  He gives the prince some time before nudging him again in question.

“That’s where it goes when we fuck, right?  And Kíli has a hole there too?”

Now its Dwalin’s turn to balk, his mouth dropping open as he gives Fíli a dumbfounded look.  “Didn’t Thorin tell you about mating and that kind of thing?” Dwalin curses the brunet king in his head silently.

“No, not really.  Uncle’s always so busy and I guess he never got around to it.”  Fíli shrugs, turning to face Dwalin and watching him expectantly.  The bald merman sighs in defeat as he tips his head back and looks towards the roof of the cave.

“Yes, that’s where ‘it’ goes when you mate and yes Kíli has one too.  That doesn't mean you can go out and have sex with him though!”  Dwalin warns, noticing how Fíli’s look has gone from mortified to pondering and he’s not sure how good of a thing that is.

“Oi, listen here Fíli.  What you and Kíli are doing is dangerous,” Dwalin starts, watching as Fíli’s bright smile dims at bit.  “I’m not saying you have to stop, but your uncle doesn't approve of Kíli and I don't think having sex with him will make anything better.”

“I don't think we’re ready for sex yet,” Fíli tells Dwalin, the bald merman nodding hesitantly as he waits for the rest of the statement.  “But how do you think that would work?  Would I put it in him or would he—”

“Okay that’s enough of this conversation.  Let’s leave it at you not having sex with him, okay?  Whatever else you two get up to is none of my business, but no sex, you hear me?  I don't want to have to tell your uncle.”

“Right, no sex.  Got it!” Fíli says happily, leaning over and giving the bald warrior a quick hug before swimming up towards the cave’s small air pocket. 

Shaking his head, Dwalin slips out the crack in the wall and towards his own cavern, trying to wrap his mind around the conversation he just had.  He was going to have to avoid Thorin for at least a day after all this new information Fíli dumped on him.

He ducked into his cave with a small smile, happy to know that he had helped Fíli somewhat but wary of what Thorin will do to him if he finds out.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for all the amazing comments, ideas, suggestions, and info on marine mammal anatomy...everything is helping me so much with writing these chapters!
> 
> So....I gave Fíli a hole, which means now the sex can happen either way. I added the last part with Dwalin because 1. I thought it would be funny to write Dwalin in that situation and 2. to show how eager? Fíli is to learn more about sex...just like almost all teenage boys. I assume Kíli is having a similar conversation with Bofur...though he probably doesn't know what to tell the boy.
> 
> Oh and about topping and bottoming? I think they'll both get a turn! *runs away to hide*


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli introduces Bofur to a game he and Fíli have invented. Bofur hopes Dís never learns about this game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place a little while after chapter two, so the boys are about eleven.

* * *

“Are you ready?” Kíli called out across the water, wiping his wet hair from his face and bracing his hands on the side of the boat as he looked at Fíli.  The blond popped up a few feet away with a grin, nodding his head as he swam back a few more feet away from the boat.

“Ready set go!” The merboy shouted his new favorite phrase to the brunet, signaling Kíli to reach down and grab the medium sized anchor and lift it onto the railing.  He clambered up onto the ledge and grabbed the anchor up into his arms, making sure the rope was still securely attached.  Giving Fíli a thumbs up the brunet closed his eyes and jumped feet first into the ocean with a splash.

Fíli watched with rapt attention as Kíli jumped into the clear water, counting a few seconds before diving down after him. The blond caught sight of the human boy sinking quickly and swam faster towards him, scooping Kíli under his arms and swimming back to the surface. 

Kíli let go of the anchor as soon as Fíli grabbed him under the arms, kicking his feet to help propel them upwards.  They broke to the surface with a splash, Kíli giggling and clinging to the blond with one arm as Fíli swam them over to the swim deck.

“Twenty six seconds,” Kíli tells the blond as he clambers up the small platform and hoists himself back onto the deck of the boat.  Fíli stuck his tongue out at the time and followed Kíli alongside the boat as the brunet walked back to where he had jumped from, grabbing the rope of the anchor and pulling it back up onto the boat.

With a snapping shut of the cabin door, Bofur emerges from the bowels of the fishing boat. He wipes his hands on a rag as he glances around the deck, taking in a dripping Kíli with a raised brow. 

He had just finished some work on the boat’s engine earlier in the morning and decided to take it out to make sure everything was running smoothly.  He’d asked Dís if Kíli could tag along with him and Glóin, the woman all but pushing a restless Kíli out the door at him.  They’d gone out a ways and everything seemed to be working fine, so Bofur had stopped and allowed Kíli to jump in the cool water under Glóin’s watchful eye while he set about checking the engine.

As he walked over towards the small brunet, Fíli ducked under the boat to hide as Kíli raised the anchor.  Kíli snorted at the blond’s behavior, a smile crossing his face when the anchor started coming up faster.  Kíli turned to Bofur as he came up beside him, giving the man a toothy grin.

“What are you up to?” The taller brunet asked, leaning against the side of the boat and watching as Kíli kept at the anchor.  He glanced to the side and snorted, seeing Glóin sleeping soundly on a deck chair instead of keeping watch over Kíli.

“Playing,” Kíli said abstractly, leaning over the edge of the boat and almost toppling over as he grabbed at the anchor.  Bofur reached over with a steadying hand on his shoulder, grounding Kíli as the boy dropped the anchor at their feet.

“Playing with an anchor?”

“Well, if I tell you will you promise not to tell my mom?” Kíli asked suspiciously, glancing out at the water and watching Fíli pop his head above the small waves.  Bofur watched the boys exchange glances, both looking a little too eager and mischievous to be up to any good.

“I promise I won’t tell her,” Bofur swore, glancing out towards the ocean and spotting the blond, who ducked back under water quickly.  The brunet chuckled at the merboy’s antics as he turned his attention back to Kíli.

“We’re playing fetch,” Kíli whispered, his eyes glancing at Glóin as if the large redhead was trying to eavesdrop.  Said man just snored on, his open mouth no doubt catching flies.

“Fetch?  If you’re playing fetch and F...”

“Fíli,” Kíli supplied helpfully.

“Right, if Fíli is fetching the anchor then why are you all wet?”  Bofur finished, reaching a hand up to scratch at the hair under his hat.  He looked out at the water and saw that Fíli had gotten a bit closer, his sharp blue eyes focused on the adult, remembering him from when he was trapped in the nets.

Kíli let out a laugh at his question, leaning against the side of the ship and shaking his head.  He reached a hand up and pushed his wet hair back, glancing into the water and seeing Fíli right next to the boat.  A mischievous gleam enters his eyes as he turns them back to Bofur.

“That’d be too easy!  Why don't we just show you?” Kíli offered, waving the blond merboy away as he hefted the anchor onto the railing.  Fíli caught sight of the anchor and swam back to his starting spot.  “We’re trying to break a record,” Kíli told Bofur as he climbed up onto the railing.

The fisherman watched with wide eyes as Kíli called out to the young blond to ask if he was ready.  Fíli grinned and gave them a thumbs up, the gesture a bit awkward and tilted to the side.  Kíli snickers, whispering softly to Bofur, “he’s still working on that.”

“Ready! Set! Go!” The blond shouts excitedly, flipping forward into the water and righting himself quickly as he waits for some kind of signal from the brunet.

“I taught him that saying,” Kíli turns to tell Bofur with a proud smile, his focus going back to the blond as he gives him a nod.  Now completely confused, Bofur goes to ask a question just as Kíli jumps off the boat with the anchor in hand.

With a startled shout Bofur scrambles to lean over the edge, looking down into the clear water for Kíli.  He goes to grab the anchor rope but a sharp noise from Fíli stops him.

_“Wait!”_

Bofur watches Fíli dive with wide eyes, knowing Dís will absolutely murder him if Kíli manages to drown himself on his watch.  He waits for a few seconds before Fíli pops back up closer to the boat, his arms hooked through a grinning Kíli’s.

“Twenty four seconds!” Kíli squeals to the blond, Fíli hugging him tight as they swim towards the back of the ship. 

Bofur slumps heavily against the side of the boat, his heart racing as he tries to calm himself.  Kíli climbs up the swim deck and heads back over, standing next to the older brunet with a victorious smile.

“Twenty four seconds is a new record,” Kíli tells him happily, rocking back on the balls of his feet and grinning like he’s won some sort of prize.  They can hear Fíli making pleased noises from the water, Kíli leaning over the side and smiling at the blond.  “That was a fast one, Fee!”

“Fíli ssswimmm fasssst!” The blond merboy grins, flipping backwards and floating on his back next to the boat.  Bofur smiles at the sight of the boys laughing so carefree, straightening up and getting the brunet’s attention.

“I can see why you wouldn't want your mother knowing about this,” Bofur tells Kíli, the smaller human turning his wide pleading eyes to the fisherman.

“Please, please don't tell her!  She’ll never let me come out with you again!” Kíli begs, jumping slightly when Fíli propels himself out of the water to hang onto the side of the boat.  He glances at Kíli’s pleading face and mimics it with surprising accuracy.

“Pleassseee, pleassseee!” The merboy’s pleading joins Kíli’s and Bofur knows he doesn't stand a chance at denying them their game.  With a loud sigh he nods, both boys cheering happily as Kíli grabs the anchor rope and starts to reel it in.  Fíli falls back into the water, swimming down to help the anchor along as it rises.

“I want you two to be careful, though.  It’d be too easy to get tangled up in that rope if you aren’t paying attention.” Bofur warns them, and when Kíli promises to be the _most_ careful he can’t help but smile.

He shakes his head at the boys, who are now chatting away happily in a strange mixture of words, whines, and gestures.  The sound of giggles and a large splash let him know Kíli’s jumped in again, the brunet fisherman relaxing when he catches sight of Fíli disappearing after him.  If anyone could save Kíli from drowning, it’d be Fíli.

 Glancing at Glóin Bofur sighs, making a mental note to bring a better babysitter the next time he takes Kíli out to sea with him.

* * *

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli gets a little jealous when he sees Kíli talking to a girl.

* * *

  
Kíli ran down to the docks, happily swinging the basket of food his mother had sent him with into the air.  His only job this afternoon was to deliver the basket to Bofur and his crew before they headed out, and after that he was free to do whatever he wished for the rest of the day.

Slowing down to a walk he made his way to the furthest dock from the village, spotting Bofur and Nori loading a few supplies onto the boat.  He stepped up to Bofur and handed the basket over, glancing around at all the supplies

“Here you go, fresh from the oven,” Kíli smiled, rocking back onto the balls of his feet.  “Are you going to be gone a while this time?”  Bofur laughed at his smiling face as he handed the basket off to Nori.

“A few weeks at most, nothing too bad.  What are you so happy about, got plans after this, lad?”

“Yeah!  I’m thinking of going—”

“Kíli!”

Kíli turned towards the shore with a surprised look. One of the village girls, Dunna, was heading down the dock towards them.  Bofur let out a wolf whistle and jumped onto the boat, wiggling his eyebrows at Kíli before moving a few boxes across the deck.   

Ignoring Bofur Kíli waved to the pretty blonde, who smiled as she made her way down the dock.  “I saw you down here and thought I’d come say hi.”

Kíli grinned as he leaned over to hug her.  “Dunna!  I haven’t seen you in forever!” Kíli laughed, breaking away suddenly when a wave washed up from below the dock and over their feet.  Dunna gave out a surprised shout, jumping back and frowning at her soaked shoes.

“What was that?” She wondered, looking out towards the sea.  “I didn’t think the waves were that big.”

“Me either, that was weird!” Kíli laughed forcefully, glancing down through the boards of the dock and catching a glimpse of gold in the water.  His eyes narrowed when a blond head ducked deeper under the water, reaching out for Dunna’s arm in a light grip.

“Let’s go back onto the path,” Kíli suggested, trying to pull the blonde girl down the dock.  Dunna shook his arm off and laughed lightly, walking out towards the end of the dock to look out over the ocean.

“But the ocean breeze is so nice out here,” she said, reaching over to grab Kíli’s hand and pull him along with her.  The brunet went along with little fuss, keeping his eyes peeled for a different blond.

“So what are you planning on doing with the rest of the day,” Dunna asked him lightly, brushing a stray hair behind her ear as she turned to smile at him.

“I didn't really have anything planned,” Kíli began, a small shell flying up from the right and smacking him in the side of the head.  Kíli gave a surprised shout, glancing beyond Dunna’s shoulder and catching sight of Fíli, the merman giving him a hurt look.  Dunna turned worried eyes to the brunet, reaching out to place a hand lightly on his arm.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it was just a fly,” he played it off casually, rubbing his arm absently as he tried to think of a way to get out of this predicament.  Dunna gave him a funny looked before shrugging as she looked out at the horizon.  Kíli glanced to the left and saw Fíli just below the surface, the blond merman giving him an angry look before diving down under the water.

“So anyways, I was thinking we could—”

Dunna was cut off when a large wave surged up from below the dock, soaking both humans with the salty water.  Dunna let out a yelp and jumped closer to Kíli, holding onto his arm as the waves intensified.  The brunet grit his teeth, grabbing the blonde’s arm as he pulled them down the dock towards the village. 

“What’s going on?  Has this ever happened to you before?” She asked with a small laugh, stopping to wring her hair out and looking down at her dress in dismay.

“No, I have no idea.  Maybe it has something to do with the _fish_!” Kíli shouted the last word, Dunna giving him a strange look before laughing at him from behind her hand.  They heard the waves churning below and glanced at each other with wide eyes before taking off at a sprint down the dock, Dunna grabbing her dress and hiking it up as they ran. 

Kíli felt another shell hit him in the back of the head, shaking it off as he and Dunna stood on the dirt path facing the ocean.  The clear blue waters were now peaceful but Kíli grimaced when he remembered the hurt look on Fíli’s face.  Dunna opened her mouth to speak but Kíli cut her off.

“Sorry Dunna but I just remembered I have to meet someone.  We should definitely do something soon, though.” Kíli said apologetically, the blonde girl smiling at him with a nod.

I’ve got so much to tell you!  I’m seeing Fredor now, did you know?  But anyways I’ve got to go home and change, this dress weighs a ton now!” She laughed, waving to Kíli as she made her way down the street.  Kíli watched her until she turned down a side road before taking off towards the beach and abandoned docks.

 

* * *

 

“Seriously Fíli, I know you’re out there!” Kíli shouts from the end of the dock, his leg splashing though the water as he kicks them back and forth.  The call of gulls is his only answer, causing a frown to mar his usually happy face.

Pulling out the shell whistle from his pocket Kíli gives it a few short chirps before lying back on the dock and waiting.  “I’ve got all afternoon, you know.”

Kili lies on the dock for a while, staring up at the clouds as he waits for Fili.  After a while he turns onto his stomach, pillowing his head on crossed arms as he stares out at the calm water.  About an hour later his stomach rumbles, the brunet reaching down into his pocket and pulling out the dried meat and carrots he had grabbed from home.  He eats the jerky and swirls his hand in the water, tossing a few carrots out into the deep.

Eventually he falls asleep, his skin turning pink from the harsh light of the sun.  As he sleeps Fíli’s head pops up slowly under the dock, his eyes narrowing on the motionless brunet.  Fili swims out a bit and watches Kili, making sure he’s really sleeping before bringing his hand back and throwing the carrot he picked up at the human.

He ducks back under the water quickly, frowning when Kili rolls over onto his side and goes back to sleep.  Fíli bites the other carrot in half, his frown intensifying as Kíli continues to sleep easily.  Throwing the second half of his carrot at Kíli he huffs when the brunet doesn't move.

Ducking under the water Fíli swims around in a few wide circles, trying to figure out if he should wake the brunet or just leave.  Squaring his shoulders he swims to the end of the dock, moving to recline on his back as he thrusts his tail up and down, sending a huge wave onto the dock.

Kíli bolts up from his nap, gasping as he spits out water and wipes his wet hair from his face.  His eyes narrow at the ripples at the end of the dock as he scrambles a few feet to lean over the end.

“That wasn't funny!” Kíli shouts playfully, his eyes darting around the water looking for the blond.  Fíli takes the opportunity to jump up onto the dock, leaning over and pushing Kíli into the water from behind.   The brunet teen comes up sputtering, swimming over to the dock and hefting himself up to reach for Fíli. 

“C’mere you bloody mermaid!”

The blond growls, hoisting his tail out of the water and rolling across the dock and out of reach.  Kíli grabs at empty air, falling flat on his stomach on the unforgiving wood.  Fíli lets out a barking laugh, rolling off the dock and back into the water.

“C’mon Fee,” Kíli whines, lying his head on the dock and banging it a few times.  His eyes narrow when he sees Fíli watching him from beneath the boards of the dock.  The blond sticks his tongue out and dives under, leaving Kíli staring at the clear water.  “Alright, that’s it!”

The brunet sits up, stripping his shirt off and taking a few things out of his pockets while laying them on the dock.  He kicks off his shoes, reaching up to stretch his arms over his head and pulling his hair up into a ponytail.  “I’m coming in, so you better save me!” Kíli warns before taking a deep breath and jumping into the water feet first.  When he hits the water, the brunet curls up into a ball so he’ll sink faster.

He opens his eyes as he drifts under the water, spotting Fíli a few feet away watching him.  He grins at the blond, making no move and sinking further down.  Fíli’s brows furrow as Kíli sinks, the brunet’s face turning red as he runs out of air slowly.  Swimming a bit closer Fíli hesitates before realizing Kíli really isn’t going to swim up.

With an easy flick of his tail Fíli has a hold of the brunet and is swimming up, Kíli holding onto the blond tightly and closing his eyes.  They break the surface and Kíli takes in a huge breath, lying on his back as he tries to stay afloat while he catches his breath.

“Shit, I thought you were going to let me drown,” Kíli laughs, lifting his head up slightly to watch Fíli swim a bit further away.  Narrowing his eyes at the retreating blond, Kíli takes another huge breath before relaxing his limbs and starting to sink again.

Eyes narrowing Fíli darts forward, pulling Kíli back to the surface and shaking him slightly.  “Stop!”

“No _you_ stop!” Kíli retorts, wrapping his arms around Fíli and becoming dead weight.  Fíli only flounders for a few seconds before he adjusts to the weight, wrapping his own arms loosely around the brunet.

“Kíli…swim?”

“Of course I’m swimming!  Well, you’re doing most of the work but I’m in the water so that counts, yeah?” Kíli murmurs, Fíli reclining onto his back and holding Kíli to his chest. 

“Kíli spend time…with Fíli?  Not…girl?”  Fíli asks quietly, his hand playing with the end of Kíli’s ponytail in a distracted manner.  Kíli grins against the blond’s chest before he raises his head and brings a hand up to poke Fíli in the nose.

Crossing his eyes to look at the finger in his face, Fíli makes a funny face that has Kíli cackling wildly.  Fíli pouts, releasing Kíli and rolling to dump him on his own.  Before the blond can take off, Kíli’s warm hand wraps around his arm in a firm grip.

“Fíli, hold on!”  Kíli sputters through a mouthful of water, pulling the merman to face him. 

“Kíli swim with girl.  Have fun.” Fíli spits, pulling his arm out of the brunet’s hold.  Kíli shouts his protest, lunging towards Fíli and tackling him through the water. 

“Are you jealous, you idiot?  I want to swim with _you_ , not Dunna!”

Fíli’s struggles became halfhearted, turning nervous eyes towards the brunet and placing his arms around Kíli’s waist to hold the floundering teen afloat.  “But…”

“No buts!  You don't have a way to call _me_ so how can I know when you’re here?” Kíli huffs, tangling his legs with Fíli’s tail and hugging the blond tightly.

“Can call…just bad.” Fíli confesses, Kíli reeling back and giving him a wondrous look.

“You can?  How?”  Kíli asks with wide eyes, basically crawling on top of Fíli in his excitement.  The blond laughs, shaking his head and holding Kíli close as he drifts out further into the water.

“Filiiiii, tell me!”

“Not good,” Fíli says with a wary look.  When Kíli wiggles to protest Fíli holds tight and rolls, cutting Kíli off and letting him go while he’s underwater.  Kíli shouts something into the water, swimming up to the surface and laughing at Fíli’s sudden playfulness.

“Kíli stay?” Fíli asks with a hopeful look, the brunet grinning and leaning forward to peck the blond on the lips.

“Kíli stay,”  Kíli grins, splashing Fíli with a wave of his arm and diving under the water quickly.  Fíli grins to himself before ducking under and chasing after the brunet.

 

* * *

 

In the middle of the night Kíli wakes from his dream, slowly sitting up in bed and looking out his window towards the ocean with glazed eyes.  A breeze filters in, ruffling the curtains and swirling around the room as Kíli listens to the haunting tune coming from outside.

Throwing his legs over the side of the bed he stands, shuffling across the room and out the door.  He moves through the house in a daze, his mother looking up from her book as he walks by the living room.

“Kíli?  Where are you going?” She asks softly, the brunet ignoring her as he makes his way through the kitchen and towards the door.  With a shrug, Dís goes back to her book as she files Kíli’s actions away as typical teenage boy behavior. 

With his eyes still glazed over, Kíli walks down the porch and towards the water in his boxers and t-shirt.  He stumbles a few times over driftwood and a few rocks, headed towards the small beach by the cliffs.  The closer he gets to the ocean the louder the song becomes, drifting across both water and sand as it calls to him.

When he gets to the beach Kíli doesn’t pause as he walks into the cold water.  He smiles as the water around him rises, the song wrapping him up as he goes under fully.  Before he can swim down any further he’s pulled back by a strong grip on his shirt, pulling him back up towards the surface. 

Kíli fights against the hold, the haunting tune still echoing inside his head.  He throws his arms out at whatever is holding him, only to have them pinned down when he’s pressed into the wet sand of the surf.

Cool lips press against his own and Kíli’s eyes blink rapidly, the fog covering them instantly disappearing as the brunet frowns.  “What’s—where am I?  Fee?”  Kíli shivers, pressing closer to Fíli in an attempt to find warmth.

“Kíli?  Kili okay?”  Fíli worries, his hands running up and down Kíli’s torso with wide eyes.  Kíli shakes his head, still trying to figure out what he’s doing in the ocean this late at night.  Fíli shakes his head quickly, pushing Kíli up further onto the beach and dragging himself after the human.

“Sorry Kíli!  Bad idea…call bad.”  Fíli babbles, pushing at Kíli to go further away from both the water and himself.

“Fee, what’s wrong?” Kíli asks blearily, crawling back through the wet sand towards the blond.  Fíli whines in protest, trying hurriedly to scoot back down into the water. 

Kíli rubs at his eyes, letting out a frustrated cry when Fíli continues to move away from him.  “Fíli please, what’s—”

“Fíli call Kíli.  Sorry Kee, sorry.” The blond apologizes again, refusing to look up at the brunet.  Kíli scrambles to his feet and stumbles toward Fíli, plopping down on his tail and refusing to move.  Fíli whines, trying to tug his tail free and push Kíli away.  The brunet shakes his head, wrapping his arms around Fíli and holding on tightly.  Fíli deflates in the hold, leaning against Kíli with a loud sigh.

“Call Kíli with song.” Fíli whispers against Kíli’s neck, his arms coming to grab at Kíli’s shaking shoulders and rubbing some warmth into them.  Kíli pulls back with wide eyes.

“You called me?  That’s why I’m freezing my butt off in the ocean in the middle of the night?” Kíli asks in wonder, glancing up and down at Fíli in the bright moonlight.  Fíli’s face crumples at the words as he tries to pull away once more.  Kíli’s still having none of it and actually laughs at the situation.

“Don’t make that face, Fíli!  This is great!  Well, not actually great right now cause this water’s kinda cold but now that you can call me I’ll know that you’re here and I can come right away!” Kíli babbles as he rocks forward to hug the stunned blond, leaning up off of Fíli’s tail and wrapping his arms around his friend’s shoulders. 

Leaning back Kíli gives him a wide grin before untangling himself and flopping back into the surf.  Fíli hovers above him unsure, and when Kíli yawns the blond pushes him towards the beach.  “Kíli go.”

“Yeah, I’m a little tired,” Kíli says through another yawn, prompting Fíli to snort at him.  Kíli swats at him halfheartedly before rolling up onto the sand and kneeling up.  Looking down at all the sand clinging to himself he frowns, trying in vain to brush it off.  Fíli laughs at him and slinks back into the water, avoiding the lump of wet sand Kíli throws his way.

“I’ll get you for that later!”  Kíli calls, grinning when Fíli pops back up through the water.  “I’ll be back down later when the sun is out, okay Fee?”

With a grin and nod Fíli disappears under the waves, leaving Kíli to try and rid himself of the sand before he makes his way back up the beach and towards the cottage.  He only hopes his mother is sleeping when he tries to sneak back inside.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all the wonderful responses, I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this story!
> 
> I'm sorry this isn't the captured chapter but that one is getting so long that it is now merging with the human!Fíli one and I don't know if I should cut it off or keep going with it. I think it's like 7000+ words now and maybe I should split it up somehow? I'm not sure yet...
> 
> I've been working on new chapters for both the modern!AU and Untamed Wild, so hopefully I can get those out this week.
> 
> You guys are amazing as always and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli gets captured and it's up to Kíli to save him. The aftermath leaves them wounded, physical pain paling in comparison to the emotional turmoil they're both feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big *THANK YOU* to naity_sama for being my beta! This chapter kicked my butt and I am so grateful for the help.
> 
> So the captured!Fíli chapter...onward!

* * *

 

Kíli’s eyes focused on the large clock hanging on the wall, its ticking the only noise in the small shop. He squirmed in his seat so the second hand of the clock wouldn't be the only thing moving, rocking onto the two back legs of the stool like his mother always told him not to.

Today had been the most boring day of Kíli’s summer and he couldn’t wait for it to be over. His mother had been called to a friend’s house to help with the delivery of a baby, so Kíli was tasked with running the small bait shop she helped out at from time to time. It wasn't necessarily hard work, just dreadfully boring when he has to sit there for hours by himself.

Kíli looks up as the door to the shop slams open, a winded Ori searching frantically around the shop for something. His wide eyes find Kíli and he all but runs across the shop, shouting Kíli’s name in an unusually high voice.

“What is it, Ori?” Kíli asks as he stands from the stool, coming around the counter to meet the redhead. The small artist bends over heavily, resting his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath.

“It’s Fíli, I think he’s in trouble!” Ori pants from his position, missing the way Kíli’s eyes widen at the news.

“What do you mean in trouble?”

“I was at the inn to fetch something for Nori when I overheard some of the visiting men talking about a huge jackpot they caught.” Ori explains, holding the stitch in his side while he tries to get his breathing back to normal. “They were talking about leaving at first light, we have to do something!” Kíli gives him a skeptical look before leading the redhead over to the stool and sitting him down.

“What does that have to do with Fíli?”

“I didn't think anything of it at first, but then they threw this on the table,” Ori blurts out in a rush, pulling something from his pocket and pushing it into Kíli’s hands with wide eyes.

Kíli looks down, the color draining form his face as he takes in the blond braid in his hands, a small silver bead gleaming on the end.  He can’t move, frozen to the spot with a terror that takes his whole body.  The though of something happening to Fíli, of the blond having his braid cut off and being talked about like some prized fish, Kíli almost can’t comprehend it.

The entire shop is silent, save for Ori’s labored breathing. Kíli finally snaps out of it, his fist tightening on the braid as he turns fierce eyes to the small redhead.

“Tell me everything you heard.”

 

* * *

 

 Kíli sneaks around the docks, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. He’s in his dark breeches and shirt, his father’s long leather jacket draped over his shoulders in an attempt to look bigger and unapproachable. A few people nod to him as he passes, the brunet keeping his head down as he reaches the dock number Ori gave him. 

The ship looks mostly abandoned, though Kíli is happy to have his sword hanging at his side just incase. He glances around before swinging his body onboard, keeping low as he makes his way along the deck. He can hear a few voices up at the bow, so he creeps a bit closer along the shadows.

His heart is beating quickly and he wonders if it sounds as loud from the outside as it does in his head. His heart jumps when he hears splashing over by the men, though the gruff words that follow make his blood boil.

“Enough of that, fish. You’ll be outta there and onto a cutting board soon enough.”

More splashing is heard and then the sounds of something thudding into wood. Kíli ducks behind a table, his eyes widening when he sees the shell whistle Fíli gave him at their first meeting lying on top of it. 

“If you keep making noise this’ll be through that pretty tail of yours,” A tall man sneers, wiggling the sword he’s thrown down into the wood of the deck. Kíli can see the blond now, hands bound and lying in what can only be called a clear tub with only a few inches of water at the bottom.  “Might not sell for as much dead, but enough for us to retire on.”

“I figure the others will be back soon,” the short man drawls, his eyes focusing on Fíli hungrily.  “Then we can ship out and sell that thing at the next port.”

Kíli’s hand slides across the table and grabs the shell, squeezing it in a tight grip as he tries to remain calm and not jump out and attack the men. The blond merman quiets as he glares, the tall man walking back to the small fire they have going in a pit on the bow. Kíli pockets the shell, ducking back into the shadows and heading over to Fíli from behind.

The blond is crammed into the small tank and could easily tip it over, though the high railings of the ship would stop him from going anywhere. Kíli notices that his hair is completely dry and his hands shake in anger as he wonders how long the blond has been out of the ocean. Kíli approaches the tank from behind quietly, hoping to the gods his plan will work.

The brunet’s not sure if it’s fear or the inability to recognize him with so many clothes on that makes Fíli lash out when he’s grabbed from his prison. Kíli leans down and puts on hand on the blond’s mouth and the other around his waist, Fíli reacting suddenly with his sharpened nails raking across Kíli’s forearm, shredding leather and skin alike.

Kíli just barely manages to bite back his scream at the pain, hoping the two men sitting a few feet away don’t hear them. He ignores the throbbing pain and holds the arm around the blond’s chest tight, his damaged arm still covering the snarling mouth and hoping Fíli’s sharp teeth won’t come into play.

“Don't move,” Kíli whispers to the blond, who stills suddenly at the voice. Removing the hand from Fíli’s mouth and wrapping the bleeding appendage under the merman’s tail, Kíli hauls him out from the few inches of dirty water.

He stumbles slightly when the weight of the tail is draped across his damaged arm, the end of it splashing around in the dirty water before it’s pulled free. Kíli winces at a fresh wave of pain before he stumbles to the edge of the ship quickly. One of the men looks up suddenly, Kíli quickening his steps when the man shouts at him.

The brunet leans heavily against the side of the ship, his dark eyes calculating his odds against the two men approaching as sweat trickles down the back of his neck. His arm is on fire and his chest heaves from the adrenalin and Fíli’s weight. The merman’s bound hands are clutching at the brunet’s heavy jacket but Kíli ignores all of this as the men advance.

“You’ve got nowhere to go, thief.  Wasn’t very wise to try and steal our prize,” the tall man sneers, pulling out a short sword and waving it at the brunet. Their eyes dart to Fíli, and it's at that moment the brunet realizes they think he wants Fíli to sell.

“Just put it back and maybe we won’t kill you,” the man says, his companion snickering and pulling out his own sword. Kíli can’t help but laugh lightly before giving them a feral grin and tightening his arms around the blond. Fíli has been silent since he was pulled from the water, and when the men advance with greed shining in their eyes Kíli springs into action.

Using what little arm strength he has, Kíli lifts the blond up over the side of the ship and dumps him into the ocean. The men give a surprised shout and Kíli relaxes slightly when he hears the blond hit the water. The shorter man darts to the railing to look over while the other focuses completely on Kíli as he advances with blazing eyes.

“You’re dead now, boy!” He spits, Kíli reaching down for his own sword when the man lunges.  The brunet blocks the attack, reaching up with both hands to steady the sword when the man goes for a second attack. Kíli continues to block the man and can see the shorter grabbing his own sword. He pushes the tall man back, watching as he stumbles over a crate and falls back over it. 

Kíli takes the spare moment to look over the edge and make sure Fíli is gone. His eyes widen when he notices a blond head just barely visible below the surface. He wipes the sweat from his brow with his arm, trailing blood along his face. Reaching down into his pocket he grabs the shell, throwing it out into the water and shouting down at Fíli.

“FÍLI! GET OUT OF HERE!”

Before he can see the blond’s reaction, both men are upon him. Kíli tightens his grip and lets out a hiss as they advance, ducking to avoid the blow coming towards his head and parrying the second attack at his side. He’s almost out of strength now, though he feels a bit victorious that he’s gotten Fíli out of this mess before he could be harmed. Faltering, Kíli misses the short man’s sword coming at his legs, the sharp steel sliding against his thigh and cutting through his breeches. The brunet has just enough time to shift out of the way or the sword would be embedded deeply in his leg.

Twisting his body so the next blow he can’t avoid is only from the flat of the blade, Kíli lets out a cry when he feels something in his chest crack. The second sword catches him in the side, Kíli crying out when its pulled away roughly, blood splattering on the deck. Before either of the men can attack again, blades and axes placed in front of the brunet protectively, with Bofur, Gloin, and a group of villagers surrounding the strangers. 

Kíli sags against Bofur, the normally happy man dropping his sword to catch the brunet as he goes down. His vision darkening, Kíli tries and fails to mumble something before his eyes roll back into his head and he falls into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

Kíli doesn’t wake for three days. They’ve taken him to the healer’s cottage, the old and graying man doing all he can to patch the brunet up good as new. The wound on his leg will heal nicely, though the one in his side will take a while longer.  The healer told Dís her son was lucky the sword missed anything vital, the woman breaking down into sobs of relief at the news. Dís is at her son’s side constantly, only leaving to rest a few hours at Dori and Bofur’s insistence.

“You’ll need your strength for when the boy’s up and asking for food,” Dori had said gently, causing a small smile to grace the woman’s lips. She straightened the blankets and pressed a kiss to Kíli’s brow before glancing out the window at the ocean.

Kíli had always been reckless, just like his father. Before he had died, Dís’ husband would take Kíli out exploring the ocean and beach on his days off, the two coming home either covered in sand or completely drenched. Kíli had never grown out of his adventurous curiosity, Dís mused as she watched the sun sparkle across the clear blue water.

Saying her goodbyes, the brunette woman walked along the beach on her way home. A high-pitched keening caught her attention and she almost dropped the basket she was carrying when she saw Fíli crawling across the sand. Running towards the blond, Dís’ eyes widened when she took note of how dry the merman was.

“Fíli! What are you doing?!” Dís shouted, scrambling for the bottle of water in the basket and dumping it on Fíli’s tail. The blond moaned when the water soaked into his tail, moving to rest his head in her lap. His hands clenched around the length of her dress, sharp nails poking holes into the dark fabric.

“Kíli,” he croaked, his throat dry and causing a sharp pain when he talked. “Kiliiiii.”

“Shhhh, don't talk,” Dís said, brushing the blond hair from his face and glancing around. She caught sight of Bofur heading down the beach and called to him frantically. The brunet man rushed over and fell to his knees next to them.

“I just found him like this! He’s almost completely dry and I can’t get him back into the water without help,” Dís said frantically.

Bofur carefully scooped the blond up and headed down the beach, Dís trailing behind them.  “Kíli?” The merman whined quietly, shivering in Bofur’s hold. The man carried Fíli into the water, placing him gently into the shallows and pushing his head under. Dís sat in the cool water next to the blond, pulling Fíli’s head into her lap and running her hands through his hair.

“I’ll stay with him,” she told Bofur quietly, the brunet hesitating before he nodded.

“Be careful with him, we don't know what kind of state he’ll be in when he wakes.”

“Yeah, we’ll be alright. Come get me if Kíli wakes, okay?”

“Sure thing, Dís.” Bofur promised, heading back up the beach and turning back to wave before heading towards town. Dís turned back to Fíli and began humming softly. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, the gills on his neck fluttering as water passed through them. His tail moved with the waves absently, curling up and back out with the motions of the water.

“You silly blond,” Dís murmured, starting in surprise when Fíli’s arm came up to grab at her skirts in his sleep. “Kíli will be so upset when he finds out you were crawling across the beach half-dead.”

A sudden splash causes Dís to jump, her eyes looking out at the open waters. A man emerges from the water, his dark eyes narrowing on her and the blond in her lap. Dís tightens her hold on the blond and glares back at the man. 

“Fíli,” the large man says quietly, Dís relaxing slightly at the worried look he gives the blond.  Dark blue eyes shift to hers as he swims closer, his hands fluttering over the blond to check for injury. “What happened?”

“I found him crawling up the beach,” Dís says softly, the merman narrowing his eyes at the younger and grimacing. “Will he be okay?”

“Needs water and sleep. Take him home.”

Dís nods hesitantly, helping to gently move the blond into the larger merman’s hold. As he turned to leave, the brunet stopped before submerging completely.

“Kíli safe?” He asked quietly, and at Dís’ affirming nod he ducks under the water and disappears.

 

* * *

 

Thorin and Dwalin watch as Fíli shifts in his sleep, his tail curling unconsciously around a presence that isn’t there. The blond had been nearly dehydrated when Thorin had found him with the woman, his skin red and agitated from dragging himself across the beach.  He shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if Fíli’s tail would of dried completely.

The king had learned of his nephew’s capture a few hours after it had happened, his mind automatically thinking the brunet human was to blame. Thorin had gathered a few warriors and headed up towards the docks, only to find a distraught Fíli lingering in the water. Before the blond could even speak Thorin knocked him out with a practiced blow to the back of the neck and carried him home.

Dwalin had lingered behind, the shouts from the boat drawing his attention. He swam to the surface and listened to the commotion while pressing close to the ship to avoid being seen.

“KÍLI! Wake up! Don't you go dying on me!”

“There’s too much blood, summon a healer! Kíli, stay with us!” 

The bald warrior’s eyes widened at the familiar name, realizing why the blond hadn’t sped home once he had gotten free. With a grim face, the merman ducked back under and caught up to the rescue party that was returning to the nest.

Thorin put Fíli down on the soft sand of his cavern floor, checking him over for injuries. He noticed blood staining Fíli’s nails and it gave him a grim satisfaction that he’d made his attackers bleed.

“Thorin,” Dwalin began, only to have the brunet cut him off with a wave of his arm.

“Don’t. Whatever you’re going to say can wait until Fíli’s awake and I have that treacherous human’s head on a spear.”

Dwalin watched as Thorin began to pace, his eyes shifting to see Fíli moving slightly.  “I don't think the boy had anything to do with it.”

“You don’t?  How could he not?” Thorin boomed, his voice jolting Fíli awake. The blond sat up frantically, searching the cave and focusing on his uncle and Dwalin.

“Kíli! Where’s Kíli?” Fíli asked blearily, heading to the door when the other two kept silent.  Thorin grabbed his arm to halt him, Fíli wrenching his arm back and turning to the large brunet.

“I have to go—”

“You aren’t going anywhere! You were just captured! We need you to stay here and tell us—”

Fíli shook his head roughly, tuning his uncle out and looking to Dwalin. The bald merman was narrowing angry eyes on the king, making Fíli’s heart sink.

“Dwalin? Did you see Kíli, is he okay?” Fíli asked impatiently, his eyes pleading with the warrior. Thorin turned his glare from Fíli to Dwalin, waiting to hear what he’d say.

“I didn't see him but I heard shouting. They were summoning a healer, saying there was too much blood.” Dwalin replied, Fíli’s eyes widening as he moved towards the cave opening. Dwalin grabbed the blond, easily subduing him as Fíli shook in his arms and tried to swim free.

“Stop! I have to go back, I have to see him. I can’t lose him, Dwalin, I can’t!” Fíli screeched, trying to break free but failing miserably due to his weak body. Thorin came over and took Fíli’s blotchy face in his hands, forcing the young blond to look at him.

“What happened, Fíli?” Fíli hung his head, eyes burning with unshed tears as he thought back on what had happened.

“I heard the whistle so I went to the surface. Kíli calls sometimes, when he has free time or wants to tell me something. But when I got there it wasn't Kíli. They had huge nets and I couldn't get away. They put me in some kind of small ocean and carried me onto a ship.  I couldn't make it over the railing because it was too high and they talked about selling me and leaving.” Fíli relayed, Dwalin releasing his hold on the blond but staying close.

“It got dark and someone grabbed me from behind.  I thought it was one of them so I attacked their arm but it was Kíli!  I made him bleed and he threw me over the railing and those men were going to kill him!”  Fíli said, his eyes focusing on the blood under his sharp nails. Kíli’s blood. Kíli, who had risked his own life to save him now had an injury the blond himself had caused.

“Fíli.”

The blond’s head snapped up, his eyes blank as he looked at his uncle without truly seeing him.  Thorin swam closer, resting his hands on the blond’s shoulders and shaking him slightly.

“You need rest—”

“I need to go find Kíli,” Fíli bit out, shaking Thorin’s hands off his shoulders and heading for the entrance. Thorin nodded to Dwalin and just as the blond moved to slip out Dwalin caught him on the back of the neck, catching the unconscious merman before he could sink. Lying him down in the sand, Dwalin turned to the brunet with an angry look.

“Looks like that human saved the prince’s life. Can’t really hate him now, can you?”

Thorin tensed at the harsh words, not wanting to believe them, though he knows the weight they carry. He now owes the human a debt, and Fíli owes him his life.

“You should just tell Fíli about the change,” Dwalin suggests softly, his shoulders slumping slightly when Thorin growls as he spins around to face the warrior.

“I’ll lose him forever if I do. He’s the only thing I have left,” Thorin bites out, his rigid posture loosening up a bit when he looks at the sleeping blond. “He’s the only family I have.”

Thorin turned to leave, sighing wearily and resting his head on the cavern wall. Dwalin grinned at the resigned pose, swimming over to slap the brunet on his back. “You never know, you might just get a brunet human addition to your family!” Dwalin laughed before heading out of the cavern, Thorin giving a low groan as he followed the warrior.

 

* * *

 

“Kíli please, you have to go see him,” Dís pleads, stepping in front of the brunet and halting his pacing. It’s been three weeks since the brunet had saved Fíli, and three weeks since he last saw the blond. Kíli gives a shake of his head and aims a pained smile at his mother.

“I can’t Mama, don’t you understand? Being at the surface is dangerous for him. What if something like this happens again?”

“Kíli, you can’t just cut him from your life! He was crawling up the beach to find you, for heavens sakes!” Dís tells him with teary eyes, trying to will some sense into her son. Kíli shakes his head and turns away, his face carefully blank.

For three weeks, she’s been watching Kíli fall apart, with feverish dreams while healing and a lack of interest in eating or sleeping. The physical wounds are healing wonderfully, as far as Dís can tell, but the more dangerous emotional ones are festering with infection.

“You need to talk to him, Kíli. You both went through a traumatic experience and you need—”

“Traumatic experience?” Kíli laughs shrilly, turning to face his mother with red-rimmed eyes. “I got him _captured_ _and_ _almost_ _killed!_ ”

“It wasn't your fault, Kíli!  No one blames you, so you shouldn't have to feel all this guilt!  If you would just talk to him,” Dís cries, taking a step towards her son, though Kíli takes a few steps back.

“I won’t endanger him anymore, I couldn't bear it if I did!” Kíli shouts as tears well up in his eyes.  He turns and heads down the hall towards his bedroom. Dís gives a shout of frustration and wipes her eyes before heading out through the kitchen door and towards Bofur’s cottage.

 

* * *

 

A few days after Thorin brought Fíli back from the surface, the blond’s strength was back in full, and he even starting to abide by his uncle’s wishes to stay clear of the surface.

For the past few weeks, Fíli has started devising a plan to get to Kíli. With the help of Dwalin, of course. The warrior has gone to the surface at least twice a day to watch for the brunet, though each time he’s come back there has been no sighting of the human.  Fíli deflates each time the bald merman brings the news, but his everlasting hope helps to keep him patient.

“Maybe he was hurt worse than we thought,” Fíli says to himself a few days later, waiting impatiently for Dwalin to return. He spots the large merman heading towards him and perks up at the odd look on his face.

“There is a female up on the dock and she keeps saying your name.”

Fíli’s eyes light up at the news, glancing over his shoulder into the throne room where his uncle sits. The blond fidgets nervously, and Dwalin wishes more than anything he could tell the boy about the transformation. He grabs Fíli’s shoulder to get his attention and pushes him out towards the open water.

“Go to her. Don’t worry about your uncle, I’ll tell him I sent you off to spar.” Dwalin says with a sly grin, Fíli darting off with a hasty ‘thank you’ as he tears through the water.

He can’t seem to swim fast enough to the old docks and when he surfaces, he sees Kíli’s mother and the dark haired man Kíli calls Bofur. Kíli’s mother gives out a cry of relief and when the blond hoists himself up onto the dock, she’s got him in a tight hug within seconds.

“Kíli?” Fíli asks, his voice muffled in Dís’ shoulder until she pulls away. Bofur watches them with a grin and somehow Fíli can tell his human is okay. He turns his attention back to Dís and she gives him a hard look.

“Kíli’s being stubborn, but we have a plan,” Dís tells him with a grin that Bofur mirrors, the blond nodding to them without hesitation.

Kíli sits on his bed and stares at the floor, his earlier fight with his mother playing through his head.  He’d heard her slam the kitchen door angrily, prompting the brunet to punch his headboard with his bad arm and gritting his teeth at the pain that shoots along his knuckles and forearm.

His thigh wound and cracked rib have healed wonderfully, and his stomach wound still gives him a bit of trouble when the stitches pull, but the lacerations on his arm have yet to heal. The healer can’t understand why his arm pains him so much, but he is allowed to shower normally now, not having to worry about the stitches in his stomach or the shredded skin of his arm. His jagged stomach wound has finally closed up, but he doesn't get his stitches out for a few days.

Kíli knows half the reason he isn’t healing properly is guilt.

It was his fault Fíli got captured and he now realizes that every minute he spends with the blond puts Fíli in danger. He’s not sure how they got the shell whistle he used to call the merman to his side, but he’s completely positive he did the right thing throwing it back. Now, no one else can lure the blond into danger with it.

When his mother told him about finding Fíli crawling on the beach, Kíli knew he had to cut ties with the blond. Fíli was endangering himself willingly when he tried to reach the brunet, something that Kíli knew could only bring about more danger. 

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears scuffling and low voices in the hallway, frowning and moving to his bed and burying himself under the blankets. He doesn’t feel like talking to anyone as he tries to figure out what he’s going to do. He can always get a job as a deckhand and sail out, experience what that kind of life is like. 

 Rolling onto his back Kíli stares at the ceiling, resting his hands behind his head. When his thoughts stray to the blond merman, he shakes his head violently. He hears the front door slam again and sighs, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes.

A loud splash causes him to lift his head and turn towards his door. Muffled noises are coming from the wall that separates his room from the bathroom. Thinking his mother has left the water on Kíli gingerly lifts himself from the bed and walks to the door. Leaning out into the hallway and opening the bathroom door, his eyes widen comically at what he sees.

“Kíli!”

Fíli is sitting in the bathroom tub, his tail flopping over the end and sloshing the water around excitedly upon seeing the brunet. Reaching his arms out to Kíli, Fíli whistles happily, much like a dolphin, as he leans towards the stunned human.

Kíli stands frozen, his mind trying to wrap around what he’s seeing. His hand tightens on the doorknob as he closes his eyes tight and fights the nausea that rears in his stomach. Seeing Fíli in such a confined place makes him sick, but the blond letting out a keening noise has his attention snapping back to the tub.

“Fíli, what are you doing in here? Who did this to you?”

“Kíli no come see Fíli. Fíli come to Kíli.” The blond says smugly, his eyes softening at Kíli’s devastated look.

“No, you need to go back. I’ll find Bofur and—”

“No! Want Kíli!” Fíli barks and when Kíli ignores his raised arms Fíli decides to try and slip out of the tub himself. Water sloshes over the sides and onto the floor but Fíli ignores it as he leans over the side to try and fall out. Kíli dashes forward to catch the determined blond, wincing at the weight on his wounds.

“You idiot! You can’t just flop around without water!”

“Fíli safe with Kíli!” The blond insists, pulling Kíli down on top of him when the brunet carefully places him back in the tub. With a shout Kíli goes down, thankful the tub is large enough for him to lay in lengthwise as his arms splash at Fíli’s sides while he tries to hold himself above the merman. He winces at the weight on his injured arm, shifting slightly so most of his weight is on his good arm.

When Fíli’s tail comes up to rest comfortably along the brunet’s back Kíli’s fight leaves him. He sags down onto the hard chest just above the waterline and brings a hand up to splay along Fíli’s chest while the other goes around him in a hug.

Fíli croons happily, his wet hands running up and down the brunet’s back and into his hair. The blond traces along his arms as Kíli sobs quietly into his chest.

“It’s all my fault, Fee. You were almost…” Kíli cuts himself off and buries his face into the blond’s chest. Fíli hums softly, the sound echoing from his chest and into Kíli’s. Lifting the brunet’s damaged arm to his lips Fíli presses soft kisses to the healing skin, his tongue darting out to trace the wounds lightly.

“Fíli sorry, hurt Kíli.” Fíli whispers against his skin, Kíli shaking his head and reaching up to pet the short hairs by the blond’s temple where the men cut his braid off. 

“I was so scared,” Kíli whispers, reaching around to cup the blond’s head with his free hand and leaning up to kiss him. He pulls back suddenly as he realizes what he’s doing, though Fíli forces him down with his tail and claims his lips urgently. 

The merman’s hand buries into the brown hair, urging the brunet to tilt his head as he deepens the kiss. Kíli complies easily, his own arms coming up around the blond and holding tight.

“My hero,” Fíli smiles when Kíli pulls back, eyes lidded and lips swollen. Kíli grunts and kisses him again, moving to kneel up and straddle the tail under him.

“I love you,” Kíli whispers, reaching up to cup Fíli’s face and bring him into a soft kiss. Fíli’s tail drops from Kíli’s back to wrap around the human’s waist as he leans into the kiss. The brunet pulls back and buries his face into Fíli’s neck, tears falling silently and wetting the blond’s neck. “I love you, Fee.”

Fíli garbles something in his own language, his hand carding through Kíli’s dark hair as he holds him close. A sweet song spills from his lips and Kíli tries to lift his head to look up, only to have Fíli guide him back to his shoulder as he continues to sing. The brunet human relaxes in the hold, his eyes drifting shut at the soothing motions. Fíli drifts off to sleep a few minutes after Kíli, neither of them waking when the door is cracked open a while later.

Dís peeks into the bathroom hesitantly, a smile lighting her face as she takes in the sight of Kíli and the merman intertwined in the tub. The blond’s tail twitches absently from around Kíli’s waist, flicking water up and over Kíli’s back. 

The brunette woman steps into the room to grab the container of sea salt on the counter, and when she glances back she sees Fíli watching her with a sleepy smile. Dís mouths a ‘thank you’ to the blond and steps back out of the room, closing the door as Fíli tightens his hold on Kíli and drifts back to sleep.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that this chapter is done I can work on the other 3 chapters in the works. XD
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos! As always I'm happy to hear from you~


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set directly after Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~A new chapter for all you wonderful people~ 
> 
> How about we throw something else at these two, hmmm?
> 
> Thanks again to naity_sama for proofreading! I promise to work on document names...though I can't promise they'll get any better XD

* * *

 

When Fíli wakes the first thing he notices is that he’s not underwater, followed almost instantly by how achingly stretched his skin feels. The blond then registers a weight on his chest that's pinning him down. He cracks his eyes open and takes in the dim morning light filtering though a small window, glancing down and noticing the weight is a snoozing Kíli.

With a grin, he unwraps his tail slowly from around the brunet, Kíli mumbling something incoherent as he snuggles closer to the blond and completely ignores the water he’s partially submerged in. Fíli cracks a grin at the sight before wincing, his gills fluttering agitatedly at the lack of water. 

Giving the sleeping human one last fond look, Fíli wiggles a bit, sliding his tail up and over the edge of the tub so the top half of his torso slips under the water, Kíli and all.

Kíli shoots up with a scream, blinking water out of his eyes and coughing it out of his lungs. He looks around frantically before looking down at Fíli, who’s grinning innocently at him from under the water.

“You crazy fish! Are you trying to kill me?” Kíli shouts a the blond, yelping when Fíli grabs his wrists and pulls them out from under him, the brunet falling flush against the merman with his face under the water. Kíli goes to pull back but the blond merman presses forward to kiss him softly, lacing his hands into Kíli’s hair and tugging softly.

The brunet sags against him and shifts his hips, drawing a moan from the blond. “This is probably the stupidest thing we’ve done.” Kíli points out after he leans back out of the water, Fíli humming in agreement as he stretches his tail up and over Kíli’s back. Kíli grabs the appendage and winces at the rough spots that have dried from being out of the water for too long. He lifts it over his shoulder and gently places it into the water at their side.

He rubs along the green scales lightly, watching the dried ones flake off into the water. Fíli coos at him happily, reaching his arms up for the brunet. Kíli shakes his head and sits up, leaning on the side of the tub as he lifts himself out.

“Nope! We need to get you back out to sea.” The brunet laughs at Fíli’s pout, his knees buckling slightly as he almost falls to the floor when he steps out of the tub. 

“Kíli come back!” Fíli whines, shifting onto his stomach and pillowing his head on his arms that are now crossed over the side of the tub. He watches Kíli strip out of his wet clothes with a feral grin, his eyes roving hungrily over the exposed skin and tight ass that wiggles out of his shorts.

When Kíli turns back around to face him Fíli’s smile falls, his mood instantly darkening and his eyes narrowing on the wound on Kíli’s stomach. Kíli’s own smile falters at the look on Fíli’s face, glancing down at himself and noticing the purplish bruising and faint traces of blood along his stomach wound. 

“Fíli…” Kíli takes a step forward, the motion prompting Fíli to rear back in the tub and get as far away from Kíli as he can. The blond begins growling softly, his blue eyes bleeding to an inky black as his focus remains on Kíli’s battered stomach. 

“I’m okay, Fee.” Kíli soothes as he walks towards the tub slowly, hands up in a submissive gesture. The blond merman watches his approach warily, his growling getting lower as Kíli rests his hands on the tub as he kneels down.

Reaching out slowly, Kíli ignores the growls and unfamiliar black eyes as he cups Fíli’s face in his hands, bringing his gaze up to meet Kíli’s soft one. “Fee, hey, it’s okay. It’s all over and we’re okay now,” Kíli whispers, watching the small pinpricks of blue in the merman’s eyes spread until the black has receded fully. Kíli gives him an encouraging smile as he leans in for a kiss, Fíli’s lips remaining lax as Kíli lets out a grunt.

“Fíli!” Kíli’s voice cracks sharply, Fíli blinking rapidly as his eyes focus on the brunet’s warm brown ones. Kíli pulls him into another kiss and this time Fíli responds immediately, reaching a hand up to wrap behind Kíli’s neck and deepen the kiss.

The brunet human pulls back after a few moments, laughing softly as he rests his head on the hard edge of the tub. “We need to stop now,” Kíli pants, glancing up and seeing Fíli’s dark blue eyes focused on him.

Shaking his head Kíli stands up, ducking out of the room to grab a change of clothes. Fíli glances around the bathroom as he waits, his eyes narrowing curiously on the strange plug at the bottom of the tub. 

“So how are we going to do this?” Kíli asks as he walks back into the bathroom, pulling a dark blue tank over his head and crashing into the doorway when he notices what Fíli has in his hand.

“Oh shit, Fíli!” Kíli scrambles through the doorway with wide eyes as he watches the last of the water slipping down the drain. Fíli glances up at him with a guilty look, dropping the plug onto the tub floor as if it burnt him.

“Oops!” he merman says loudly, Kíli’s face paling as he scrambles out of the room and shouting for his mother. He slides into the kitchen with a hopeful look, but his stomach drops at the note on the table. He reads it quickly and lets out a pained whine at the words. Bofur was called out on short notice and had needed someone to watch the shop, so she wouldn’t be home till late.

Nearly crying, Kili heads back to the bathroom, trying to get his emotions under control and failing miserably. He curses loudly when he finds Fíli out of the tub and on his stomach across the floor.

“Fíli, what are you doing?” Kíli asks in a shrill voice, kneeling down next to the blond and cupping his face with both hands. Fíli goes up onto his arms and tilts his face into Kíli’s hands.  “Don’t worry, Fee, I’m gunna get you out of here. I won’t lose you again, I won’t!” Kíli swears, his eyes swimming with tears and his heart beating frantically. His mind is running a million miles a minute trying to come up with a plan, completely throwing rationality out the window. If he tries to carry Fíli out on his own, his stitches will pull and his wound will reopen, but if that’s what it takes to get Fíli safe he’ll do it in a heartbeat.

Fíli watches him calmly, reaching up to mirror Kíli’s movements and bring him close. Kíli doesn't seem aware of the blond’s hold, so Fíli squishes his cheeks between his hands to get the brunet’s attention. Kíli’s watery eyes focus on the blond, sniffing a few times as he holds back the tears. “You’re gunna die and its all my fault.”

“Kíli calm! Fíli fine, feel okay. Not hurt.” Fíli murmurs, dropping his hold on the brunet’s face and pulling him into a hug. Kíli tenses before relaxing against the blond, his arms dropping uselessly to his sides as he rests his head on Fíli’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Nothing hurts? You don’t feel sick?” Fíli chuckles at the worrying brunet, resting his head down on Kíli’s with an affirming noise.

“Mama and Bofur won’t be back until late, so I better go find the salt she used,” Kíli whispers against Fíli’s neck, kissing the salty skin briefly before leaning back. His panic is fizzling out slowly and Kíli curses himself for not thinking straight.

Fíli hums noncommittally and sits back, unfurling his tail and folding it up and around himself as he sits contently. Kíli chuckles as he untangles himself from the scaly appendage, standing and ruffling Fíli’s blond hair as he heads out the doorway and towards the kitchen.

As soon as Kíli leaves the room Fíli’s gaze drops to his tail as he takes in the flaking scales. His uncle always told him to keep it below water, but Fíli doesn't feel any pain. Sure the flaking scales are a bit itchy and shed all over, but the excruciating pain his uncle warned him about doesn't seem to be happening.

He scratches at the scales and notices how pale they are now, almost translucent. His eyes widen when the scales begin to turn to brittle flakes right before his eyes. He lets out a worried shout when he realizes his tail isn’t responding to his movements.

He hears Kíli shout his name worriedly, though all he can really focus on is the pair of human legs now connected to his torso, covered in pale green flakes. 

“Fíli?! What’s the ma—”

“Kíli!” Fíli’s voice is unusually high as he turns frantic eyes to the brunet. Kíli’s eyes are focused on the set of legs Fíli is now sporting, the brunet walking forward and dropping to his knees beside the blond. Kíli winces at the pull of his wound, reaching a shaky hand out to touch a few of the flakes littering the floor.

“Fíli, what happened?”

Fíli just gapes at his legs, flinching back when he tries to move them and they respond jerkily. He lies on his back and takes a few deep breaths, startling when Kíli runs his hand along the new legs. “Kiliiii.”

“Do they hurt?” The brunet asks in awe, reaching down to tweak Fíli’s toes and chuckling when the blond’s feet flinch away from his fingers. Fíli leans up on his elbows and shakes his head, still watching his legs warily as if they’ll do something strange he can’t control.  

“Do you think its permanent?” Kíli asks, nudging his own leg against Fíli’s and laughing at the scared look Fíli gives him. Kíli kneels up, getting to his feet and giving the blond a strange look when he lets out a keening whine, lifting his arms up to the brunet.

With a grin Kíli leans down, grabbing Fíli under the arms and helping him to his feet. Fíli wobbles unsteadily, and when Kíli goes to let go, the blond’s legs buckle. Kíli loops his arms around his waist to keep him upright.

“Woah there, Fee, easy does it. I’ve got you,” Kíli reassures the blond, who has turned slightly into Kíli’s chest and has his eyes tightly shut. “Slow steps, okay? I’ll help you.”

“Kíli carry,” Fíli protests, squeezing Kíli’s arms around his waist and giving the brunet pleading eyes. Kíli shakes his head and ignores Fíli’s pout, grabbing the blond’s arm and throwing it over his own shoulder while his other arm wraps around Fíli’s naked waist.

“We need to get you something to wear,” Kíli comments, helping Fíli walk towards the door. The blond stumbles over his own feet as they head into the hall, Kíli trying to show Fíli how to walk properly with exaggerated steps. The brunet shoulders his door open and guides Fíli inside, the blond too focused on watching his steps to realize where Kíli is leading him.

When they reach the bed, Kíli helps the blond sit before heading to his dresser to rummage around for a pair of clean boxers. He turns back to the bed and finds Fíli taking in the room with wide eyes, his hands clenching in the soft comforter on Kíli’s bed.

“Okay, time for some underwear.” Kíli grins, walking over and pushing Fíli’s chest so the blond falls back onto the bed. Kíli bends down, manhandling Fíli’s feet into the boxers and sliding them up as he carefully averts his eyes. Fíli watches him in confusion, and when the brunet gets the fabric up to Fíli’s thighs he pulls back. “You have to do the rest yourself,” Kíli says, rubbing the back of his neck as a blush blooms across his face.

Fíli lets out a whine, not understanding the awkwardness Kíli’s feeling. The brunet human mimes grabbing the boxers and sliding them up, though Fíli just gives him blank look. “Kíli help!”

“I can’t Fee, just pull them up.” Kíli blushes, his mind already conjuring images of Fíli he doesn't need right now. He knows he’s acting far too shy right now, but he doesn't want to rush anything or make Fíli uncomfortable with this new addition. The blond huffs in agitation, reaching down and shimmying the fabric up his legs awkwardly. It takes him a good five minutes to accomplish the task, and when he lets out a victorious shout, Kíli can’t help but smile.

Kíli pulls out a pair of gym shorts and helps the blond into them, the task only taking a few seconds with Kíli’s help. Sitting up, Fili glances down at his legs and frowns at the fine blond hair covering them, reaching down to tug at it. He lets out a sharp cry when pain shoots up his legs, Kíli leaning over to bat his hands away.

“Don’t pull at it, you dork!” Kíli scolds, plopping down next to Fíli and leaning on his shoulder. Fíli stares at their legs for a moment before he tries to mimic the way Kíli’s ankles are crossed in front of him. Lifting his feet awkwardly, the blond grunts as he tries to place them just right, Kíli laughing and hooking his foot under Fíli’s calf and placing it on the floor between Fíli’s feet.

“Think we should try and get you back to normal?” Kíli asks quietly, Fíli nodding without hesitation and trying to untangle their legs as he moves to stand. The blond pitches forward sharply and almost falls over, Kíli’s quick reflexes making sure Fíli doesn’t land on the hard floor. “Calm down, Fee.”

Making sure Fíli can stand on his own, Kíli lifts himself up and places his hands on Fíli’s waist. The blond’s hands come up automatically to grab at Kíli’s shoulders, trying to gain a sense of balance on his wobbly legs. Kíli laughs quietly at the concentration lacing Fíli’s features, his blue eyes focused down on their legs. Kíli leans forward and kisses his nose, bringing Fíli’s focus up and back onto the brunet.

“Just relax. You won’t be able to walk at all if you’re that stiff.”

Fíli huffs and gives the brunet a look that promises retribution the next time they’re in the water. Kíli shifts his shoulder under Fíli’s arm, wincing only slightly as he takes most of the blond’s weight and helps him out of the bedroom and down the hall. Fíli takes everything in with wide eyes, stopping suddenly and focusing on the few pictures hanging on the wall.

Kíli blushes when he realizes what Fíli’s looking at, trying to tug the stationary blond towards the door. Fíli doesn't seem to be ready to leave anymore, craning his neck back to try and see the pictures he missed.

“C’mon Fee,” Kíli protests, his arm wrapping around Fíli’s side and pulling gently.

“Stop,” Fíli orders softly, taking in the family photo of a young Kíli with his parents. The brunet is tiny and covered in sand, much like the taller brunet holding him up on his shoulders. The blond murmurs out a word in his own language, giving Kíli a questioning look. Kíli frowns in confusion, shaking his head when Fíli repeats the word.

The blond lifts his hand and points to the man holding Kíli, noticing how the brunet’s shoulders dip lightly as he looks away. “Father. That’s my father,” Kíli said quietly, glancing up at the picture and giving it a sad smile. “You would have liked him, and he you.”

Fíli remains quiet, remembering the day he and Kíli had gotten into a fight and Dís had informed him it was the anniversary of Kíli’s father’s death. Fíli lays his head on Kíli’s shoulder, nudging him to continue down the hall slowly. Kíli resigns himself to the slow crawl, a smile spreading across his face when Fíli snorts or points out a particular picture.

They come to a stop at the last picture, Kíli’s face turning a bright red as he tugs Fíli out of the hallway and through the living room. “Kee, what was—”

“Nothing!  I don't even know when she put that up,” Kíli says quickly, jerking to a stop when Fíli plants his feet firmly on the ground to stop their progress. He looks back to the hallway and can just make out the picture, one of him and Kíli smiling at each other. Whoever took the photo used an angle that obscures Fíli’s bottom half, the blond’s shoulders and up the only thing visible as he smiles happily at Kíli, who’s leaning over the edge of a boat. It’s a wonderful, close shot of their profiles, and Kíli smiles at it every time he walks past it.

“Kíli,” Fíli says quietly, the brunet turning to the blond with flaming cheeks. Fíli smiles softly, bringing a hand up and pulling Kíli into a deep kiss. Kíli relaxes into the kiss, moving his arms down to wrap around Fíli’s waist comfortably.

Pulling back, Fíli grins, grabbing Kíli’s hand and taking a hesitant step towards the door. The brunet smiles at his effort, walking slowly beside Fíli as they make their way across the room and out the door. Fíli’s confidence fades quickly when they come to the porch steps, Kíli laughing as he introduces the blond to a proper piggyback ride. Kíli had forgotten about his wounds until he had Fíli on his back, though the gash on his stomach miraculously didn't rip open as long as Fíli kept still. His leg throbbed slightly, but Kíli couldn't tell if it was actual or phantom pain.

“Yes! Like this, Kee!” Fíli shouts happily from his perch on Kíli’s back, picking up on the brunet’s stiff movements and trying to keep as still as he can while they head down to the beach.

“Of course you like this, you’re not doing any work,” Kíli laughs playfully, leaning down slowly to let Fíli off his back when they hit the sand. The brunet feels his stomach wound on instinct, grimacing when he notices a bit of blood on his hand when he pulls it away. Wiping it on his pocket discreetly he thanks the gods he’d grabbed a black shirt earlier.

Fíli looks upon the ocean happily, stumbling through the sand and towards the clear blue water. Kíli laughs when he falls into the sand, walking over and helping the blond to his feet once more. When they reach the dock Kíli stops Fíli suddenly with a hand on his arm.

“You should probably take the shorts and boxers off first,” Kíli says with a blush, Fíli’s gaze dropping to his lower half with a curt nod. He bends forward and grabs at the fabric, losing his balance and tumbling into the sand. Kíli chuckles at the sight, glancing around at the empty beach before crouching down and helping the blond remove the garments with averted eyes.

Once Fíli’s free of the clothes he stands with Kíli’s help, hobbling towards the dock and stepping up onto it carefully. Kíli leads him out over to the deeper water, trying to stay behind the blond slightly to block his nakedness. When they reach the end, Fíli spins around, wrapping cool arms around Kíli in a tight hug. The brunet winces at the pressure before returning the gesture and placing a kiss on Fíli’s head.

“Go on,” Kíli encourages, Fíli pulling back and giving Kíli a small smile. Bringing his arms back, Fíli’s smile disappears at the sight of a bloodstain on his arm. Before he can say anything Kíli’s pushing him into the water, the blond letting out a shout before he crashes into the waves. 

Kíli holds his breath as he waits for Fíli to surface, praying to the gods his theory is correct and the blond gets his tail back. Seconds tick by with no sign of the blond, and Kíli crouches down on the dock, leaning over to try and get a better look. He receives a splash to the face that startles him back onto his bottom, Fíli hefting himself up onto the dock beside him and pushing his shirt up.

“Kíli hurt,” the blond accuses with angry eyes, his tail slapping sharply against the water in agitation. Kíli tries to pull away from the blond, Fíli’s tail coming up and lying across Kíli’s legs to pin him to the dock.

“I’m fine, Fee! Don’t worry abo—AHH!”

Fíli dips his head to the wound and licks around it, cleaning the blood that’s spread around due to the movements of his shirt. The brunet human tries to push the blond’s head away, but Fíli snaps sharp teeth at his hands before resuming his cleaning.

Kíli lies on his back and waits, Fíli’s tongue sending shivers down his spine. The brunet grabs at Fíli’s tail absently, his fingers sliding along the wet scales in a soft caress. Fíli hums happily, pulling back with a smile that loses some of its calming effect since his face is stained with blood.

“C’mere,” Kíli grunts, using the water from Fíli’s scales to wipe the blood off the blond’s face, Fíli’s tongue darting out to lick at Kíli’s bloody fingers. The brunet’s eyes widen at the erotic gesture, stirring something below his beltline. “Your tail came back,” Kíli says stupidly, Fíli lifting the appendage from Kíli’s legs and back into the water. 

“Mhmm,” Fíli hums as he leans forward, capturing Kíli’s lips in a kiss and bringing his arms up to lock around the brunet’s neck. 

“I bet your uncle is worried,” Kíli murmurs, pulling back and giggling at the frown that crosses Fíli’s face. “Are you going to tell him what happened?”

Fíli thinks about it for a while before he shakes his head no, pulling back from Kíli and slipping down into the water smoothly. Kíli leans over the edge to follow the blond’s movements, Fíli reaching up to cup Kíli’s cheek tenderly as he leans towards the human.

“Love you,” he whispers into Kíli’s ear, brushing a kiss across the brunet’s cheek as he descends back into the water. Kíli watches with wide eyes until the merman disappears, a small smile playing over his lips as he pulls back onto the dock.

“Love you too,” Kíli whispers to the ocean, lying back with a grin as he watches the clouds pass overhead.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I made Kíli a bit panicky and dramatic in this chapter, but let's just say he's still stressed and feeling a bit guilty about the previous chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for all the suggestions/ideas on how to give Fíli legs. This was the option that I thought went the best, though if I ever write Kíli changing somehow I'll have to go with the Arkenstone thing. 
> 
> Reading your comments made my bad day so much better, so thank you everyone! I look forward to writing more in this verse!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli decides to do an experiment and find out what kind of foods Fíli likes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter that popped into my head~
> 
> Not beta read because I just wrote this about 10 minutes ago and wanted to post something with young Fíli&Kíli.

* * *

 

Kíli runs out of the cottage with a victorious grin, ignoring his mother’s annoyed shouts for him to put on shoes as he scrambles down the pathway towards the beach. He’s got the hem of his shirt pulled up in a tight grasp, making sure nothing in the makeshift pouch falls to the ground as he quickens his pace.

The sight of the old docks gives him a burst of energy, his feet digging into the warm sand as he tears across the beach and up onto the dock. He slows his run about midway down, his jog tapering off as he leans over the edge and looks out into the clear blue water.

“Fíli!” Kíli shouts, adjusting the hold on his shirt and reaching down to pull out a carrot from the collection of random foods he’s stolen from the kitchen. Chucking the orange vegetable into the water he walks a few feet further down the dock, moving carefully to sit on the edge of the wood and dangle his feet into the ocean.

He places the different foods onto the dock next to him, eager for Fíli to get there so they can begin the experiment. He flicks his feet absently, grabbing the sweet roll and tearing a chunk off to pop into his mouth. A few minutes later he feels a tickling on his toes and leans over, a smiling Fíli looking up at him from the water.

“There you are! Did you find the carrot?” Kíli asks with a grin, the blond merboy nodding and giving Kíli a toothy grin with shreds of carrot visible in his slightly pointed teeth. “I knew you would,” Kíli giggles as he grabs another carrot and hands it down to the blond. Fíli gobbles it up with a happy coo, rubbing his face into the side of Kíli’s leg.

“I brought you some different foods to try,” Kíli tells the blond, turning to the side and picking up a banana. He peels it quickly, Fíli leaning up onto the dock and watching the process with a confused look. Kíli sets the peel aside and breaks off a section, offering it to the blond with a smile. Fíli stares blankly at the offered fruit, Kíli pulling his hand back and stuffing it into his own mouth with a happy smile. “This is a banana, it's a fruit.”

“F-ffaruit,” Fíli repeats, opening his mouth when Kíli goes to feed him a piece. The blond’s face screws up as he chews, the taste and mushy texture of the banana foreign to the young merboy. He finishes the bite and licks his lips, Kíli giving him an expectant look. “Sss’okay,” he states simply, Kíli shrugging his shoulders and finishing off the pale fruit.

“Moving on, this is called jerky. Its dried meat that's good for long trips and quick lunches,” Kíli informs, handing Fíli a strip of the dried meat and watching the blond nibble on the end. Fíli’s face pinches into a frown as he spits the piece out, throwing the rest of the meat across the dock and away from the two of them. He dips back down under the water, opening his mouth to rinse out the taste.

“Blergh! Fíli no like!” He spits out when he resurfaces, Kíli trying to hide a grin behind his hand at the merboy’s reaction.  

“Okay Fíli, no more jerky. How about this, it’s cantaloupe.” Kíli offers the orange fruit, Fíli’s eyes widening excitedly at the familiar color. Kíli feeds a few pieces to the blond, Fíli’s face turning thoughtful as he chews.

“Sssweet, Kíli more?” He says, flicking his tail to hoist himself higher onto the dock. Crossing his arms in front of him, Fíli opens his mouth obediently as Kíli feeds him the cantaloupe.

“I like it too,” Kíli says as he pops a few pieces into his own mouth, trying to decide what to try next. Giving the last piece of cantaloupe to the blond, Kíli reaches over for the sweet roll, tearing off a piece and offering it to Fíli.

“This is a sweet roll, Mama’s are the best in the whole village!” Kíli tells the merboy, who reaches out to take the bread. He squishes it between his fingers for a minute, giving Kíli a dubious look. The brunet smiles encouraging, taking a bite himself and humming as it melts in his mouth.

Fíli stuffs the bread in his mouth, eyes widening as he reaches for the rest before he’s even swallowed. “More! Kíli, more! Pahleease!” Kíli hands the rest of the roll over, watching in amusement as Fíli uses both hands to pick the treat apart and pop it into his mouth.

“Please, Fee. Puhleeease.”

“Pleaaassse,” Fíli mumbles around his treat, pink tongue coming out to lick at his fingers. Turning his attention back to Kíli he gives the brunet an expectant look. “More?”

“I only have a few things left,” Kíli says, pulling the thinly sliced turkey and cheese into his lap. Fíli watches him tear them into strips, wrapping the turkey around the cheese and offering the roll to the blond. “Turkey and cheese. I woulda grabbed some bread to make a sandwich but Mama caught me.”

Fíli takes the meat and cheese from the human and bites into it, humming happily at the taste. His tail flops around in the water behind him, sending a shower of droplets up onto the dock. Kíli laughs and finishes his own makeshift sandwich, reaching over to pull a few pieces of seaweed from Fíli’s salty hair. Tugging at the fraying braid on the side, Fíli leans his head towards the brunet and hums when Kíli slips the bead off the end.

Quick fingers begin redoing the small braid, deftly weaving the blond strands into a tight braid and clipping the bead back onto the end. “There you go, much better.” Fíli dips back down under the water, popping up between Kíli’s legs and wrapping his arms around the brunet’s stomach.

“Kee come swim?” Fíli looks up with hopeful eyes, Kíli pretending to think about it for a while before he nods in affirmative. With a happy shout Fíli falls back into the water with a splash, swimming a few circles around the dock’s support beams before popping back up.

Kíli pulls his shirt over his head and takes a few steps back, running the short distance and jumping into the cool waters. Fíli circles below like a shark, snapping his tail to get a burst of speed and shooting up to grab at Kíli’s legs. Wrapping his arms around Kíli’s knees the blond flicks his tail again, bursting through the surface and throwing Kíli up into the air.

With a squeal Kíli splashes back into the ocean, swimming up to the surface and laughing when Fíli pops up next to him. “Fee!” Kíli laughs, throwing his arms around the blond’s neck and flopping them backwards into the water. Fíli returns the hug automatically, rolling them through the water and back up to the surface. Fíli lets go of the brunet, slipping from his grasp and diving back down into the deep. Kíli grabs the end of his tail, right above where the fins taper off to the sides, and takes a deep breath as he’s pulled under.

Fíli turns around at the weight, stopping his descent and tugging his tail down to bring Kíli closer. Wrapping the brunet in his arms Fíli flicks his tail harshly and shoots upwards. Kíli closes his eyes as they break the surface, Fíli using their momentum to throw the brunet into the air and watching him splash back down in a jumble of flailing limbs. Unable to control his laughter Kíli accidentally inhales a mouthful of seawater, sputtering and choking as he tries to gulp down air.

Fíli wraps around him quickly, keeping the boy afloat while he pounds lightly on Kíli’s back to dispel the water. Its not the first time this has happened and both boys know it won’t be the last. Once Kíli gets all the water from his lungs he gives Fíli a watery smile, hooking one arm around the blond’s neck and taking a few deep breaths. He turns excited eyes to the merboy and wiggles around anxiously.

“Let's do that again.”

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such a random assortment of foods...
> 
> I'm planning on posting another chapter on Tuesday or Wednesday, since I'll have all of Tuesday to write. I think I'm going to have to add a few tags for that update ;D Sexytimes ahoy!
> 
> Like always, I love reading your comments and suggestions, they make the writing process a bit easier! I appreciate you guys so much~


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli/Kíli sexytimes ahoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEX BETWEEN A MERMAN AND A HUMAN! IF YOU AREN'T INTO THAT--PLEASE WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER~
> 
>  
> 
> ~THANK YOU~ naity_sama for taking the time to beta this and not laughing at my cringeworthy attempts at sex...or chapter titles. And I mean all of the attempts, since almost everything I've sent you to read in the past week has had some kind of sex in it. You are my hero!
> 
> Another ~THANK YOU~ to octopusfiona, who is translating this story into Chinese! I'm happy so many others will be able to read it, thank you!

* * *

 

Fíli watched the brunet human tie a small bundle up under the boards of the dock, Kíli’s lip poking from his mouth in concentration. The brunet’s face was flushed red from hanging upside down, his nimble fingers tying the twine into a secure knot before he pulled back to sit at the end of the dock with his feet hanging in the ocean.

“There! Now, if you ever come ashore without me, you won’t get arrested for wandering around naked.” Kíli chuckled, giving Fíli’s confused face a proud grin. The merman swam closer to the dock, grabbing Kíli’s ankles and tugging lightly in question.

“Kíli swim?” The blond asked, completely ignoring Kíli’s proud smile and trying to lace his fingers in-between the brunet’s toes. Kíli laughed, wiggling his toes and coaxing a smile from the blond merman.

“If I come swim with you, you have to come lay up on the sand with me,” Kíli bargains, Fíli’s face scrunching up at the idea of lying up on the sand. He really wants Kíli to come swim though, so he nods reluctantly and lets the brunet go. Kíli grins, pulling his legs up and moving around on his hands and knees to lean over the edge of the dock.

“Seal it with a kiss,” he says cheekily, Fíli’s face blooming into a smile as he leans up and hooks his hands around the brunet’s neck, pulling him down slightly and sealing his mouth over Kíli’s. Flicking his tongue out, Fíli traces the human’s lips lightly, his tongue delving in when Kíli parts his lips and allows the blond entry. After a few more moments, Fíli pulls back, his tongue darting out to lick the taste of Kíli from his lips with a heated look at the brunet.

Kíli darts forward before the blond can sink back into the water, pecking him on the lips quickly before leaning back and stripping his sleeveless shirt off. Fíli watches the brunet pile his things onto the dock, his eyes catching on the jagged pink scar running across Kíli’s side. Fíli frowns at the mark, dipping down under the waves and circling the small area a few times. Kíli looks up with a frown of his own when he realizes Fíli’s disappeared.

“Fíli?” He calls, leaning over the dock and watching the blond swim in agitated circles below. Kíli lifts his hand to scratch at his scar absently, walking down the dock a few feet and trying to think of what he could have done to agitate the blond. He stops and looks down at his scar, the discolored line a pale streak across his tanned skin.

With a sigh, Kíli moves to sit on the dock, slipping easily into the refreshing water with minimal splashing. He treads water and looks around for the blond, dipping below to wet his hair before he calls out to the merman. “Fíli, get up here!”

The blond looks up from below, watching Kíli tread water easily and seemingly without pain. He can hear the brunet calling, though he takes his time on the way up. Surfacing a few feet from the human, Fíli watches him swim about, finally taking notice of the thoughtful blond with a surprised shout.

“There you are! You said you wanted to swim and then disappeared, I thought you’d changed your mind!”

Fíli shakes his head, swimming up to Kíli and wrapping the brunet in a careful hug. Pressing a kiss onto the human’s neck, Fíli lays his head on Kíli’s shoulder and makes sure his arms are wrapped awkwardly high to avoid the scar.

Kíli sighs into Fíli’s hair, reaching down to pull Fíli’s arms around his middle properly. Fíli whines softly into his neck, his tail coming up to wrap around Kíli’s ankle. Kíli allows the hold for a few more minutes, the need to move around and get rid of some of his energy making him pull back from the blond.

“C’mon, goofball,” Kíli laughs, pulling away and ruffling Fíli’s hair before ducking down into the water. Fíli follows the brunet down, catching him in his arms and pressing a deep kiss to Kíli’s lips and passing the magic along with his tongue.

The brunet human pulls back with a smile, Fíli wrapping his arms around Kíli and swimming them closer to the colorful corals along the sandy bottom. Kíli reaches out to touch the different species, Fíli directing his hand away every so often to avoid the dangerous ones.

They swim along the bottom for a bit until a series of high pitched clicks have them looking up towards the surface. Four dolphins splash about, swimming down a bit closer to the human and merman and causing the brightly colored fish to scatter.

Fíli makes a few clicks back at the curious animals, Kíli’s eyes widening as he whips his head around to look at the blond. The dolphins swim closer, butting into Fíli’s stomach and causing the blond to let out a laugh. They click back and forth, Kíli staring at the interactions with a wide grin. One of the dolphins seemed to remember he's there, pulling back from Fíli and wandering closer to the human.

Kíli stays as still as possible, the dolphin coming within an arm’s reach and watching him with intelligent eyes. Kíli moves his hand out slowly, wanting to touch the sleek animal but also needing to keep moving to stay down under the water without Fíli’s help.

Fíli watches the brunet with a grin, making a clicking noise that the dolphin turns to. Kíli’s smile falls a bit before the dolphin turns back to him and speeds forward to close the distance between them. Kíli lets out an ‘oof’ when the dolphin collides with his stomach, the gray animal nuzzling into him and chirping happily.

Kíli runs his hands along the dolphin’s rubbery skin, marveling at the feel and playfulness of the animals. He lifts his head to give Fíli a wide smile, the blond chuckling as he swims closer to the human. Kíli leans over to peck the blond on the cheek, the dolphins exploding into clicks at the action.

Kíli’s eyes widen in a telltale sign he’s run out of air, Fíli whistling sharply to the dolphins that now crowd around the brunet. Kíli’s brows furrow before Fíli reaches over to grab his hand, lifting it and molding it around the nearest dolphin’s dorsal fin. Kíli’s eyes widen in realization and before he can do anything, Fíli whistles again, sending them up to the surface.

Kíli laughs in the water, hanging onto the dolphin’s fin as they speed to the surface. They break through the waves and Kíli lets go, the dolphins swimming around him and jumping playfully a few feet away. Fíli comes up behind the brunet, wrapping his arms around Kíli and watching the happy display.

“Fíli, look at them!” Kíli whispers in awe, jolting lightly when one of the animals appears next to him and nudges him in the side. Fíli frowns when the dolphin bumps Kíli's scar, but the brunet’s excited laugh stops the dark thoughts altogether.

“Do you think I could…” Kíli starts hesitantly, not able to wipe the happy smile off his face as he runs his hand along the dolphin’s back. Fíli picks up on Kíli’s wishes, ducking down to click at the playful animals. Popping back up, Fíli grins, reaching over to grab a dorsal fin and motioning Kíli to do the same.

Kíli scrambles to mirror Fíli’s movements, and when he’s situated Fíli whistles loudly, spurring the dolphins into action. They take off towards the open ocean, Kíli’s happy squeals bouncing across the waves as he’s carried around. Fíli shakes his head from his own dolphin, whistling shortly when Kíli’s dolphin starts going too far out.

The animals circle back towards the dock, their playfulness and Kíli’s joy making Fíli chuckle to himself. He lets go a few yards out, swimming the rest of the way himself and laughing when Kíli lets go and is dumped into the water. Surfacing with a shout, Kíli brushes his hair back and spins around looking for Fíli.

“Fee! Did you see that? It was amazing. Wait till I tell Mama!” Kíli gushes, swimming out to meet Fíli and throwing his arms around the blond. “You’re the best, Fee!”

The merman laughs at Kíli’s excitement, flipping to his back and swimming them towards the shore. As the human babbles rapidly on his chest, Fíli tries to hold back his grin when his back hits the sand. He pushes them up as far as he can go, his tail still submerged in the water while Kíli’s oblivious to the fact that they’ve stopped moving. The brunet shifts automatically to straddle the blond’s hips, his hands splayed across Fíli’s chest.

“…did you see me, Fee? I think they liked me!”

“Like Kíli, play fun,” Fíli assures, his words making Kíli smile twice as wide. The brunet human leans down and kisses Fíli softly, his hands digging into the warm sand below the merman. Furrowing his brow, Kíli shoots up, looking around them wildly before his eyes focus back on Fíli.

“When’d we get back here?”

Fíli just shakes his head, flipping his tail idly and brining it up to smack Kíli’s back lightly. “I think someone deserves a reward,” Kíli grins slyly, shifting his hips slightly and rubbing them down into Fíli. The blond brings his hand up to rest on Kíli’s thighs, shifting his own hips up into Kíli’s downward thrusts.

“Fíli, we gotta…” Kíli trails off, breaking away with a groan and falling to the side. Fíli lifts his head to watch the brunet, his eyes darkening when Kíli grabs his tail and drags him down into the water. When Fíli’s tail is completely submerged, the brunet clambers back on top of the blond and leans down to pepper kisses along his chest.

“Kee,” Fíli coos, his tail coming up to drape across the human’s back. Kíli hums against Fíli’s skin, his lips moving lower as his tongue snakes out to trace around Fíli’s nipple. With a strangled groan, the merman fists his hands in the sand next to him, Kíli rocking atop him and causing a stirring below his naval.

Kíli’s now fully hard, his erection trapped uncomfortably in the wet fabric of his shorts. With a moan he pulls back, licking his lips and frowning as he spits out a few grits of sand. Tumbling off to the side, Kíli takes a quick look around the beach to make sure they’re alone. When he’s positive the coast is clear he stands, shimmying out of his shorts and plopping down into the wet sand.

Fíli watches all this with dark eyes, his hand reaching out to touch Kíli’s erection when the brunet sits beside him. Kíli jerks back before the blond can touch him, scooting down further into the water and pulling at Fíli to slip down with him.

“Gotta get out of the sand,” Kíli murmurs, settling down onto his bottom and shifting so Fíli’s tail is in his lap. He traces a line from the blond’s naval to where skin meets scales, the extra soft skin at the juncture quivering under his fingertips. Fíli shivers when Kíli pets him, his muscles relaxing and allowing his erection to slide free of the sheath in his scales.

Kíli grins at the sight of Fíli’s hardness, pleased it took such a short time to get Fíli’s erection free. The first time Fíli had slid from his protective sheath during their previous fumblings, both of them had been taken by surprise. Shaking his head, Kíli lifts his hand, running it through the water to free it from any sand before reaching down and wrapping it around the blond’s hard cock.

Fíli moans loudly, his tail bucking up and forcing his erection into Kíli’s hand as he shakes his head from side to side. “You’re always so sensitive, Fee,” Kíli coos, pumping the blond in a steady rhythm and leaning over to place a kiss to the corner of Fíli’s mouth. The blond turns his head to the side, mouth trying to catch Kíli’s in a kiss. The brunet human leans over to give him a kiss, his tongue flicking out to trace Fíli’s lips lightly.

Fíli’s hand snakes out to wrap around Kíli’s erection, trying to time his movements in the same rhythm. Kíli moans out at the feeling before shifting his legs and crossing them, the merman now resting in his lap fully. Fíli throws his arm around Kíli’s shoulder, his tail wiggling into the movements of Kíli’s hand. The brunet slips his slender hand down under Fíli’s tail, his fingertips gliding over the smooth scales of Fíli’s ass and tracing the crease he knows is there.

“Kee, puhleaase,” Fíli pants into his shoulder, the brunet grinning when his fingers find the opening in the back of Fíli’s tail. The blond jolts when Kíli slips a finger in up to the first knuckle, trying to press his heated body even closer to the human.

“Okay?” Kíli whispers, Fíli nodding as he shifts to try and get Kíli’s finger to go deeper.

“Kíli, more!”

Kíli obliges, slowly sinking his finger into the blond and panting at how tightly Fíli clenches around him. Something in the tight channel slicks his way, a natural lubricant of some sort that neither really bother to think about at the moment. Kíli holds his finger in the merman until Fíli begins to shift anxiously, crooking the digit before sliding it out slowly and pushing back in.

Fíli begins to moan in a mix of English and his own language, using his tail to thrust down onto the intruding digit with vigor. With a smile, Kíli presses another finger to the entrance, the scales and skin parting around the second digit as easily as they did for the first.

Keeping his pace slow, Kíli works his fingers into the blond, crooking and scissoring them while the merman writhes on his lap. Removing his other hand from Fíli’s erection, Kíli swirls it into the water before bringing it up to trail though blond hair. “Don’t come apart just yet, Fee.”

“Kíli inside, want Kíli. To. Fuck.” The blond pants heavily, his blue eyes blown wide with arousal and need. Kíli’s dark eyes widen at the words, his fingers stopping their movements and drawing a whine from the blond. “Kíli, puhleasse.”

“Fee, I can’t…we haven’t…” Kíli stutters, shifting out of the way when Fíli rolls off his lap into the shallow water. Tugging at Kíli’s hand, the blond shifts up higher onto the sand, lying on his stomach and bending his tail to lift his bottom into the air invitingly. His cock hangs heavily below him, the head skimming the water when Fíli shifts back and forth minimally.

Kíli watches with a transfixed stare, his eyes roaming over the gleaming scales and slightly pink opening hidden in the green tail. Fíli makes an impatient noise, lifting himself up with his arms and throwing a heated look over his shoulder at the brunet. “Now!”

“O-okay,” Kíli gasps, crawling up the shallows and framing Fíli’s hips with his hands as he kneels up. “I’ve never done this before,” Kíli says, biting his lip and giving Fíli a hesitant look. He moves his hands across the blond’s scales, carefully dipping his fingers back into Fíli and watching the blond’s face change from annoyed to sensual in the blink of an eye.

Swirling his fingers around in the tight channel, Kíli smiles as Fíli slaps the fins of his tail in the water while he moans. The brunet chuckles as water sprays up around them, pulling his fingers back and dipping them into the water before pressing a third into Fíli slowly.

Fíli’s breathing hitches at the stretch, Kíli trying to pull his hand back only to have Fíli thrust back and take all three of the brunet’s fingers fully. Kíli gapes with wide eyes, his own erection hardening further at the sight of Fíli spread out around his fingers.

“Kíli now, want Kíli,” Fíli breathes, looking back and beckoning the brunet with sultry eyes. Kíli shakes himself out of the stare, his free hand reaching around to Fíli’s front to wrap around the heated erection jutting from Fíli’s hips. He pumps his fingers in time with his hand around the blond’s erection, Fíli turning into a moaning mess beneath him.

After a few minutes longer than necessary, Kíli pulls back, Fíli growling when both sensations are cut off suddenly. The brunet sits back and just stares at the merman, Fíli’s eyes glassy with lust as his tail shifts back and forth into the phantom thrusts of Kíli’s fingers. With a whine, Fíli locks eyes with the human, his tail coming up to coil around Kíli’s thigh.

“Fíli are you…we don’t have to do this.”

“Want Kíli,” Fíli breathes, his arms folding at the elbows as he lowers his head into the water while thrusting his tail back into Kíli’s leg.

“Okay,” Kíli whispers, sitting down into the water and moving around into a comfortable position behind the blond. He strokes his own erection a few times before lining up to Fíli’s hole, tracing the pink skin with the head of his cock. Fíli makes a whining noise from under the water, a few bubbles escaping and popping up at the surface. “Ready, Fee?”

Kíli takes the blond’s nudge backward as a yes, taking his arousal in hand and pressing slowly into Fíli’s tight heat. Kíli grits his teeth at the silky feel of the merman’s insides, the natural lubrication allowing the brunet to slide in with little friction

Stopping his movements halfway in, Kíli pants heavily against Fíli’s back, his arms coming around the blond and resting on his abdomen. Kíli pets the smooth skin there absently, trying to remain calm and refrain from thrusting further into the tight heat.

“Kíli,” Fíli’s garbled voice draws the brunet’s attention to the dripping blond, Kíli fisting his hand around the merman’s erection and drawing his hips back a few inches before rocking forward again. Fíli lets out a keen at the same time Kíli moans, the brunet’s knee sinking into the sand and causing him to slide all the way into the blond’s tight heat.

“Oh fuck, Fee! Sorry…I can’t—”

Fíli rocks back onto Kíli’s cock, moaning with abandon as the brunet starts to thrust into him at a steady pace. The dark haired human tightens his hand around Fíli’s arousal, the blond lifting himself up onto his arms and throwing a look over his shoulder at the brunet.

“More, Kíli. Need you,” Fíli groans out, throwing his head back when Kíli shifts his leg and thrusts in at a new angle. Fíli’s insides grip around the brunet in a tight hold, Kíli’s breathing becoming more uneven as he continues to thrust into the merman.

Kíli's leg slips in the sand again when he’s mid-thrust, the brunet bottoming out and causing Fíli to rear up with a hiss. Kíli freezes his movements at the noise but Fíli leans up and back against his chest, pale arms looping around the brunet and locking behind his neck. Leaning his head back onto Kíli’s shoulder, the merman moans at the new angle, Kíli’s hips stuttering rapidly as he fucks into the warm vice around his cock.

“Fuck Fíli, so tight!” Kíli moans, feeling his arousal build toward its peak. Kíli leans forward and bites into Fíli’s shoulder, creating a ring of teeth marks against the pale skin. He jerks his hand around Fíli as he thrusts, the merman moaning loudly in a rasping tone.

 “Fee, I gotta pull out. I’m gunna…”

“Inside,” Fíli moans in his ear, pushing back into Kíli’s thrusts and clamping down before he thrusts forward into the brunet’s hand.

Kíli pumps at Fíli’s cock in rapid movements, the blond letting out a garbled shout in his own language as he comes in thick spurts into Kíli’s hand and the water. Kíli groans at the tight clenching of Fíli’s muscles around him, thrusting a few more times into the blond before coming with a muffled shout around Fíli’s shoulder. Fíli groans at the feel of the human’s release inside him, using his quickly waning strength to milk the last of Kíli’s spend from his cock. Kíli’s hips stutter a few more times to ride out his orgasm, Fíli whining lowly when the brunet pulls out of him.

“Kee…”

The spent human lowers them gently into the cool water, sitting on his bottom and rinsing his hand before carefully brushing his fingers along Fíli’s backside to check for any damage. The blond moans lowly, Kíli watching as his spent arousal slips back into the slit of his sheath.

Kíli brings his arms up and holds the merman tightly, Fíli’s tail dragging lazily in the water as they try to get their breathing back to normal. After a while, Kíli scoots up onto the beach, lying back in the surf and cuddling Fíli between his legs. The blond merman rests draped over Kíli’s chest, the brunet running his hands lightly up and down Fíli’s backside as he dozes in and out of consciousness.

Kíli’s eyes drift shut, and the next time he opens them, Fíli’s crouched in front of him and hissing angrily at something in the water. Shooting up, the brunet scrambles to cover his nakedness with wide eyes as Fíli’s uncle emerges from the water. The younger merman’s shoulders relax slightly, though he remains tense and crouched protectively in front of Kíli.

The large merman’s eyes narrow on Fíli, shifting to the side to take in Kíli’s state of undress before flicking back to the blond. He starts barking at Fíli in their strange language, the blond’s tail flicking through the water in sharp, angry movements.

“Fee?” Kíli questions quietly, bringing his knees up in front of him and crossing his ankles to try and cover himself. When Thorin’s eyes dart back to him Fíli moves, shifting to block his view with angry eyes.

“Go, leave us!” Fíli demands, shifting forward into the water and grimacing when a dull pain shoots across the backside of his tail. Thorin’s eyes widen at the pained look and he dashes forward with a growl, pushing against the arm Fíli flings to the side to stop him. The human scrambles backwards in the sand, forgetting about trying to cover himself as he fumbles up the surf with terrified eyes.

 _“What have you done?”_ The king growls at Fíli, teeth snapping at Kíli as the blond struggles to hold his uncle back.

 _“What I’ve done is none of your business, Uncle.”_ Fíli hisses, the brunet grabbing Fíli by the shoulder roughly and narrowing his eyes dangerously.

_“It is my business! You’ve…you’ve mated with a human!”_

_“It’s my choice who I mate with, Uncle, and Kíli’s my one so I don't see why you’re—”_

_“He’s NOT your one! That’s impossible!”_ Thorin roars, shaking Fíli and turning blazing eyes to the frightened human. _“That human is unworthy and dangerous. He knows too much and should be—”_

Fíli breaks away with a snap of his teeth, irises blackening in the blink of an eye as he places a hand with sharp claws against the elder’s stomach.

 _“Watch what you say, Uncle. I won’t hesitate to protect what’s min_ e _. Even from you_ ,” Fíli snarls at the brunet, Thorin’s eyes widening slightly at the threat, no matter how empty it is. He looks again to the young human, snarling under his breath before turning and disappearing under the water.

Fíli breathes heavily as he watches his uncle disappear, slumping back onto the surf and dragging his way back up to Kíli with a wince. When Fíli reaches the shivering human, Kíli’s wide eyes fix on the merman’s inky black ones. “Kíli okay?”

“H-h-he was gunna kill me!” The human stutters out, tensing up when Fíli pulls up beside him and leans over to hum into his neck. Kíli’s heart beats rapidly, Fíli’s hand coming up to rub the human’s chest in wide circles.

“Keep you safe,” Fíli murmurs softly, Kíli’s arm hesitantly wrapping around the trembling blond and pulling him down to lie on his chest. Kíli rubs along the pale skin of Fíli’s back, his unsteady hands too nervous dip down any lower. The blond merman shifts his hips, drawing a quiet moan from the human when slick scales rub against bare skin. Fíli winces again, and against his better judgment, Kíli gathers the blond up into his arms and wades down into the water.

“C’mon, Fee,” Kíli whispers, keeping a tight hold on the merman as he kneels into the cool water. Fíli coos when Kíli lowers him down, wrapping his arms around the brunet’s neck and coiling his tail snugly around Kíli’s leg.

“Stay,” the merman pleads with dark eyes, Kíli glancing out towards the water with uncertainty. “Stay, Kee.”

“Yeah,” Kíli murmurs quietly, Fíli laying his head on the brunet’s shoulder and whispering a soft melody into his ear.

“What’d he say?” Kíli asks after a long while, the merman humming in question as his tail fin flicks lazily up and down Kíli’s ankle. “Your uncle. When you guys were yelling.”

Fíli groans into his neck, shaking his head and mouthing the beginnings of a large bruise into Kíli’s shoulder. Throwing his head back with a low moan, Kíli brings his hands up to grab at the blond’s shoulders and pull him away. “Fee?”

The blond merman sighs heavily, nosing his face back into Kíli’s shoulder and huffing in agitation. “Not happy,” Fíli grunts, unwrapping his tail and pushing Kíli up towards the wet sand. Kíli flutters his hands through the water to help them backwards, his back hitting the gritty sand as Fíli rests heavily against his chest.

“And?”

“Aaaaand mad about…mating,” Fíli mumbles lowly, Kíli lifting his head to look down at the blond with a frown.

“Mating? Wha—oh!” Kíli’s mouth drops open before he slams his head back into the sand with a strangled groan. “Why? Because I’m not, not like you?”

Fíli inches up the brunet’s chest with a frown, his tail flipping up behind him and splashing into the water at his side. “No! Mating…ssserious. King mad, not Uncle,” Fíli tries to explain, his limited grasp of the language frustrating him once again. “Will understand.” His tail swishing anxiously, Fíli winces at the slight pull on his backside. Kíli’s eyes are as wide as saucers as he replays the merman’s words in his head.

_King?_

“Fíli not care, love Kee.”

“H-he’s the king?!” Kíli’s voice is hysterical as he tries to wiggle out from under the blond. “Y-you’re a prince?!”

“Kíli—”

“You’re a PRINCE?” Kíli shrieks, Fíli rocking to the side and tipping into the water next to the panicking brunet. Kíli scrambles up onto the dry sand, leaning over and burying his face in his knees while he tries to calm his frantic breathing.

“Keeee,” Fíli whines loudly from the water, flicking his tail and crawling up towards the shaking brunet.

“He’s gunna kill me, I’m so dead. He’s a prince! How can I…” Kíli mumbles to himself, rocking slightly and completely oblivious to Fíli crawling up the beach behind him. Watching the brunet wrap his arms around himself, Fíli hesitates, looking down at his drying tail. For once, he actually wills the change to hurry up, grimacing only slightly when his scales fall away to reveal pale legs.

With a determined grunt, Fíli rocks up onto his hands and knees, crawling slowly towards Kíli to hesitantly place his hand on the human’s back. Kíli startles at the touch, lifting his head and turning his tearstained face to the blond prince. “Fee…I mean, what should I call you now? Your Highness?” Kíli croaks in disbelief, the blond hesitantly rubbing circles into Kíli’s tanned skin.

“Kee, stop,” Fíli says sharply, reaching out to frame the brunet’s face with his cool hands. Wiping the tear tracks from Kíli’s red face, the blond leans forward and presses a sweet kiss to Kíli’s mouth. “Kee okay?”

“I-I’m just…but, but you’re a pri—”

“Stop,” Fíli whispers against Kíli’s mouth, shifting to sit on his lap and wrap his legs around the brunet’s hips. Rocking forward, Fíli leans up to kiss the human on the lips as he settles his hands on Kíli’s shoulders to gain a bit more leverage. “Want Kíli. Want this.”

“Fíli…ughhh,” Kíli’s protests dissolve into a moan as he rocks forward so their budding erections meet in a gritty slide. Fíli keens loudly, leaning up towards the brunet and causing him to fall flat on his back. Fíli looms over the human with a smile, his legs squeezing Kíli’s hips as he undulates on top of the brunet.

Kíli lifts a hand to cup Fíli’s cheek, Fíli biting lightly at the thumb that strays too close to his mouth. “Want Kíli, always. Even with legs.”

Kíli’s eyes water with emotion, Fíli misinterpreting the action and reaching down with both hands to cup the human’s face lovingly. Kíli brings his own hands up to cover Fíli’s, a slow smile spreading across his face as he rubs his thumbs across the backs of Fíli’s hands.

“I want you too, Fee. No matter what.”

With a grin, Fíli leans down, the two of them ignoring their bumping arousals as they meet in a chaste kiss. Fíli grins into the affection, pulling back to lower his face into Kíli’s neck and nose along a line up to his ear. Tugging the brunet’s earlobe between his teeth, Fíli licks at the red marks he makes before placing a wet kiss to Kíli’s cheek.

“Kíli swim?” Fíli grins as he pulls away, unhooking his legs and rolling onto his knees to stand. The brunet groans as he lies back in the sand, Fíli pushing at him with his foot. “Kíli!”

“Okay, okay!” Kíli laughs, trying to will his erection away as he watches Fíli tumble through the sand and back down to the beach. Eyeing the blond’s ass as he fumbles away, Kíli gives up trying to think about anything else. He glances down at his erection when Fíli splashes into the water, his arousal jutting up towards him covered in precum and sand.

“Keeeee,” comes the call from the water, Kíli maneuvering himself to stand as he slowly makes his way towards the water. Stepping into the cool water, he tries to think unsexy things, though the hungry look Fíli is giving his cock sends a whole new wave of lust right down below the belt.

Raising his hand in a beckoning gesture, Fíli crooks one finger in a ‘come hither’ motion. Kíli wades out into the water with a grin, never one to deny the blond merman anything.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dies*
> 
> So here's the chapter I've been worried about! Sorry it's so late, I kept adding and rewriting it. I really hope the sex isn't too bad. Oh and it's been ages since I swam with dolphins, so if that part is a little iffy it's because it's been about 8 years since I've done it.
> 
> Now I want to thank everyone who has read, commented, and left kudos on this story. Your thoughts and words make me love writing so much more, and I'm always thrilled to read what you have to say. Whenever I'm uninspired, I look back at comments or get the alert emails that someone has read my story and enjoyed it ~~ that makes me feel like giving you all a huge hug. I really can't thank you enough!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place after the previous chapter, a sort of 'aftermath,' if you will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who left me encouraging words/suggestions/tips on the last chapter! I was nervous to post it but the response was better than I could have ever imagined. Everyone is so supportive and I'm happy to be writing something that others enjoy.
> 
> I've also been having a hard time writing anything other than needy bottom Fíli, so look for more of him!
> 
> ☆ ★Thank you again to naity_sama for the beta~ ★ ☆

* * *

 

When the sun dips below the horizon and Kíli can no longer stay in the water, the happy couple says their goodbyes with heated kisses and promises of tomorrow. Fíli swims down to the nest through the kelp beds, trying to delay the inevitable shouting match that is going to occur with his uncle. He’s just about to head towards his cave when Dwalin appears at his side, shooting an arm out to stop the blond.

“Not you too,” Fíli sighs, the look on the bald man’s face a dead giveaway that his uncle has already told the warrior. Dwalin releases him, though his eyes have a strange smile to them.

“Oh I heard alright, are you trying to kill him?” Dwalin chuckles, reaching out to ruffle the blond’s hair as he directs the younger towards the throne room instead. Fíli blanches at their new path, causing Dwalin to let out a barking laugh. “It’s just him in there, brooding.”

Fíli sighs in relief, though he knows talking to his uncle as King will be even more difficult than past confrontations about Kíli. “I don’t know why he’s so upset. I told him Kíli was my one years ago.”

“Aye, but you were young then, and you still are now. I think he was holding out for the boy to do something stupid to make you come swimming back down here with a deep hatred of humans.”

“Kíli would never do something like that,” Fíli muses, Dwalin actually nodding his agreement and startling the blond with the gesture. “You believe me?”

“It took some time, but since the boy almost got run through to protect you, I think he’s pretty trustworthy.” Dwalin tells him, Fíli stopping his swimming and throwing his arms around the warrior in a hug.

“Thanks, Dwalin,” he says softly, pulling back and continuing up the stone pathway that led to the throne room. They hover outside the archway, Fíli turning to give Dwalin a nervous glance.

“Don’t worry so much,” Dwalin whispers to the younger, his hard eyes fixed on the brooding king. “You can’t help who your one is. Thorin just has to remember that.”

With a nod, Fíli swims forward and stops in front of the King. He bows to the brunet, letting out a heavy sigh and lifting his head to lock his eyes with angry blue. “Your Highness.”

“Do you realize what you’ve done? Does _he_ realize what he’s done?” Thorin sets in right away, bypassing any and all formalities as he growls lowly to the blond.

“I realize the impact of my actions—”

“But you don’t! This…this coupling with a human, it is forbidden!” Thorin rages, shifting in the throne to lean forward towards the blond. “That human should be put to death for taking you like that!”

“There is no law that says it’s forbidden, Uncle,” Fíli tries to explain in an even tone. “I’ve told you numerous times that Kíli is my one, so why are you so upset that we’ve consummated the bond?”

“Because you’ve mated with a _human_! A lowly human with no knowledge of our ways or politics!”

“He is not a lowly human, not to me! And his lack of knowledge about these things is not of his own fault. I’ve kept him that way to keep things normal between us. He makes me so happy, Uncle. Why can’t you see that?”

“You may be happy now, but what about in a few years? Five, ten? When the human boy casts you aside for someone else?”

“Kíli and I are happy. Shouldn’t that be all that matters?” Fíli pleads for his uncle to understand, though Thorin the King remains unmoved.

“It will never work between the two of you. You are both blinded by lust,” Thorin scoffs, though when he sees pain flash across Fíli’s face he knows it is anything but. Fíli is silent following the accusation, though he steels himself a few seconds later and turns inky black eyes to his uncle.

“I love Kíli more than anything, and if this feeling I’ve carried for years is lust, then so be it.” Fíli growls lowly, his resolve hardening with each solid word he delivers. “I will not abandon my mate. So, you can go ahead and ready the council and the whole nest, because come first light tomorrow, I’m renouncing the crown and everything that goes with it.”

Fíli doesn't give the King time to digest his words before the shoots off towards his cave. Thorin stares in shock, Dwalin coming out from behind a smooth pillar with a hard look in his eyes.

“Is their love really such a bad thing? You were afraid the human boy would take Fíli from you, but it seems you have no trouble pushing him away all by yourself.” Dwalin says softly before turning to follow after the blond prince.

Thorin stares blankly before hanging his head, knowing that both Dwalin and Fíli are right. The heart knows what it wants, and even a king cannot stop the path the gods have lain out.

 

* * *

 

Up on the surface, Kíli pauses in his dinner with his mother. Dís gives him a strange look when he rubs at his chest, directly over the heart.

“Kíli? Are you alright?”

The brunet furrows his brows at the sudden ache, shaking his head and dropping his hand away from his heart. “Yeah, just got a weird pain there is all.”

“Should we go to the doctor tomorrow? I have to go into town anyway, and you can tag along.” Dís says in a concerned voice, though her son waves her off.

“No, I think I’m okay. It’s like a deep ache, like something’s wrong.”

They both frown at the thought, Dís shaking her head and gathering up the dirty dishes while Kíli stares blankly in thought. “Well, I’m sure whatever it is will be gone tomorrow and everything will be fine. But, if it gets any worse, we’re going to the doctor.”

Kíli nods absently, his hand coming up once again to rest over his pounding heart. Dís watches him from the doorway with a worried frown, hoping the ache is some kind of fluke.

“I’ve made sweet rolls,” she calls to the brunet, Kíli’s head whipping around and giving her a sunny smile. “Be sure to take some to Fíli tomorrow, okay?”

“You’re the best, Mama!” Kíli croons, gathering up the remaining dishes and following his mother into the kitchen.

He almost makes it to the sink before it happens. His heartbeat falters painfully, the dishes crashing to the floor in a broken mess as he goes down on his hands and knees. Dís screams, though Kíli can’t hear anything except the beating of his own heart. Pain flares up in his chest and his thoughts turn to Fíli right before he lapses into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

Fíli darts around the small cave with agitated strokes, gathering up a few of his belongings and tucking them into a net bag he’s made. He doesn’t notice Dwalin enter until he slams into the larger merman, muttering an apology but refusing to look up.

“Fíli,” Dwalin says quietly, and his unusually soft tone is all it takes for Fíli to break down. Throwing his arms around the warrior, Fíli buries his face in Dwalin’s neck and sobs.

“Why can’t he understand? It is so wrong, to be with Kíli?” The blond cries, his heart clenching at the thought of Thorin’s disapproval. He held himself together in front of the king, but the fear clawing at his chest now is out of control.

“Shhh, calm down, Fíli.” Dwalin tries to comfort the blond, though he knows that the real comfort Fíli needs is from his uncle. “He just needs some time.”

“It’s been years, Dwalin! I don’t understand why he doesn't think this is serious.” Fíli whispers into the elder’s shoulder, his heart aching to go see Kíli right now. “I meant what I said. I won’t abandon my mate.” Fíli sniffs, leaning back and giving the older a determined look.

Dwalin smiles at the blond, giving him a squeeze before pulling back. “The heart knows what it wants, and if yours wants that scrawny human, then it doesn't matter what your uncle says.”

Fíli nods, giving the warrior a confused look when he notices him holding something back. “What is it?”

“Did you do it? Or did he?” Dwalin asks with a sly grin, Fíli’s brow furrowing in confusion. Dwalin chuckles at him and puts a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“The fucking, I mean. Your uncle wasn’t very forthcoming with the details.”

Fíli’s face turns a brilliant shade of red that has Dwalin doubling over in laughter. The blond swats at him in mock anger, trying to will his blush away.

“C’mon now, I’ll support ya either way. There are things you have to know about mates and it seems your uncle isn’t too keen on telling ya right about now.”

Fíli blushes anew, though the information Dwalin is offering is something he definitely needs. Caught in a bind, Fíli has no choice but to answer the probing question.

“He…he was on top,” Fíli says quietly, Dwalin raising is brow at the vague answer.

“That doesn’t tell me anything. Did he fuck you or did you fuck him? If you can’t talk about it you shouldn't be doing it!”

“He fucked me, okay? We haven’t had the chance to try it the other way around, though if he was like us, I’d have a much easier time figuring it out,” Fíli confesses, burying his bright face in his hands. Dwalin barks out a laugh, slapping the blond on the back and shaking his head.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” he scoffs, Fíli shooting him an angry glare that has Dwalin laughing as he retreats to the cave entrance. “We’ll talk about mates some other time, I need to head out for my patrol shift.”

Dwalin’s laughter stops suddenly and Fíli gives him a questioning look. The large merman winks at the blond before ducking out and speaking to whoever is outside.

Fíli’s stomach sinks when he realizes whom it is, the blond swimming up to the small pocket of air above and rolling up onto the ledge to wait. The anger from before has faded, though Fíli knows if his uncle threatens Kíli again, he won’t hesitate to protect him from the harsh words.

He ignores Thorin’s calls to come down and stays at the surface, lying on his back and waiting for his uncle to emerge. He only has to wait a few seconds before he feels his uncle’s eyes on him, the brunet swimming to the ledge and resting his arms on it. Fíli slides wary eyes to the brunet, hefting himself into a sitting position when he finds his uncle oddly calm.

“Fíli, I’m sorry.” Thorin begins with a sigh, his stormy blue eyes locking with Fíli’s to relay his emotions. Fíli can see regret flash across his uncle’s face, but there is also understanding and worry floating around in the stern gaze. “Can you understand that I want what’s best for you, that I want to keep you safe?”

“Yes, Uncle.” Fíli says quietly, threading his fingers together and feeling his heart clench as he awaits the verdict.

“This human, it is known that he has proven himself more than once, and I was blind to that. My prejudice has blinded me from seeing your affections, and for that I deeply apologize. You cannot help who the heart deems as yours, though a large part of me was hoping you would grow apart from that human—”

“Kíli. His name is Kíli, Uncle.” Fíli interrupts with a small smile.

“Kíli, then. I had hoped you would grow apart because of your differences, though it seems they have only brought you closer. If you two are willing to work as hard as you have to be together, it is not my place, nor anyone else’s, to deny you happiness.”

Fíli’s eyes widen at what the words imply, a grin stretching across his face at Thorin’s defeated pose. Launching at his uncle and rocking them back into the water, Fíli squeezes the older merman in a tight hug. “Thank you, Uncle!”

Thorin chuckles at the blond, pulling back and taking in Fíli’s excited energy with a resigned sigh. “That does not mean you are to stay up there with him forever,” The brunet warns, Fíli wrinkling his nose at the idea.

“I don’t like the legs much,” he confesses with a shake of his head, Thorin’s eyes widening at the fact that the transformation is no longer a secret from his nephew.

“How long have you known?”

“Months, probably. I’ve only done it a few times. It’s so hard to try and control two of them!” Fíli chuckles, remembering all the falls and bruises he’s accumulated during his journeys on land. “I just wish there was a way for Kíli to get a tail, but when he gets in the water he keeps his human legs.” Fíli muses, missing the slight widening of Thorin’s eyes.

“There might be a way,” The king says quietly, Fíli whipping his head up to stare at the brunet with wide eyes. “But, I will need to seek council with Balin to see if my theory has any truth to it. It will take time, nothing that can happen as easily as you getting legs.”

“Really, Uncle? Kíli could—”

“Can you imagine _that_ sight?” Dwalin’s voice floats up from below, a knowing grin spread across his face as Fíli and Thorin both turn to look at him. “I think I recall passing Balin just a few moments ago, Your Highness.”

Thorin frowns at the warrior from behind Fíli, the blond’s excitement palpable throughout the cave. Dwalin shakes his head, turning his gaze to Fíli with a slight frown. “You’ve blocked your emotions from the human, right?”

“What?” Fíli’s grin falters, turning back to look at his uncle with a furrowed brow. Thorin’s eyes widen when he realizes the blond has no idea what they’re talking about.

“You haven’t…oh no.” Thorin turns sharp eyes from Fíli to Dwalin, the warrior grimacing before he heads out of the cave and up towards the surface.

“Uncle, what’s going on?”

“When you mate with someone, the bond formed during courting is completed. Your emotions intertwine and you begin to feel what the other is feeling. It can be blocked with practice, but I don’t think I ever brought it up. I don’t know about humans, but they’re not that much different from us, so your huma—Kíli would be feeling any strong emotions you’ve been projecting since the mating.”

“He can feel my emotions? But I still don’t—”

“Kíli would feel the emotions from earlier, from our conversation in the throne room.”

Fíli’s eyes widen in fear as he thinks back to all the anger and fear that had been coursing through him in the throne room. He takes one last glance at his uncle before he speeds out of the cavern, Thorin right behind him as they head to the shore.

There is a soft glow coming from a lantern on the dock, shedding light on the forms littering the dock. Dwalin is leaning up over the boards, the woman who was holding Fíli the day he was captured leaning over a motionless Kíli lying on the dock. Bofur is next to Kíli’s mother, his face marred with a worried frown.

“Kíli!” Fíli shouts, swimming up to the docks next to Dwalin and hefting himself up next to the humans with practiced ease. Thorin swims closer with a wary look, though he shifts up next to Dwalin and looks at the brunet human a little guiltily.

“He collapsed after dinner, he’d been rubbing his chest and I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” Dís cries, bringing a hand up to try and muffle her sobs. Bofur puts his arm around the crying woman, Dís turning into his side to sob into his chest.

Fíli leans over the still brunet, his hands fluttering about Kíli’s chest and face, looking for any sign of injury. He turns frightened eyes to Dwalin and Thorin, silently pleading for an answer.

“Control your emotions. Project to him.” Thorin says calmly, watching as Fíli leans down to place his forehead against the brunet’s as he closes his eyes. One hand comes up to rest over Kíli’s heart while the other runs down his face with a soft touch.

After a few moments of steady breaths, Fíli shifts his head to kiss the brunet human on the lips, running his tongue along Kíli’s lax mouth and breathing into him. Kíli’s eyes snap open when the blond pulls back, shooting up into a sitting position as he coughs a few times to clear his lungs.

“Fee?” He croaks blearily, eyes trying to adjust to the dim light as his hand comes up to rest over Fíli’s pale one on his heart. “Are you okay? I felt…pain.”

Fíli’s smile rivals the sun as he leans over to pepper Kíli’s face with kisses, shifting to try and rest in the brunet’s lap. Kíli grunts at his attempts, hooking his arm around the scaly waist and hauling Fíli comfortably onto his legs as his tail drapes over the edge into the water. The blond merman leans into him with a coo, a coughing noise bringing Kíli’s attention away from his lap and to their audience.

Two humans and two mermen watch them with raised brows, Kíli’s face flushing a deep red as he tries to bury it in Fíli’s hair. The merman coos happily, completely ignoring their audience as he tightens his hold on the brunet. “Fee, stoppit,” Kíli mumbles, his mother trying to hide a few watery chuckles behind her hand.

Dís leans over and brings both boys into a hug, their arms coming up around her and squeezing in tandem. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, you hear? Either one of you!”

“Yes, Mama,” Kíli promises, Fíli nodding his agreement as they lean back. He glances to the side and sees Dwalin and his uncle watching them, a smirk on the bald warrior’s face. Kíli follows his gaze, eyes widening as he tries to shift Fíli out of his lap at the sight of his uncle.

Fíli refuses to be moved, wrapping his arms tightly around Kíli’s neck and flicking water at the other two mermen with his tail. Dwalin laughs at the display, Thorin’s frown lacking its usual severity. Fíli gives him a pointed look, the brunet king heaving a sigh as he moves a bit closer. Kíli tenses up, his arms tightening around Fíli’s waist in a nervous gesture.

“I am sorry,” Thorin says lowly, his stormy blue eyes meeting the human’s wide chocolate orbs. “Fíli loves you…can’t stop it.”

Kíli just nods dumbly, trying to process the approval for what it is. Fíli grins into his neck, peeking out to give his uncle a grateful look.

“Will kill you if harm Fíli,” Dwalin warns, breaking the tender moment with his harsh words. Kíli’s breathing hitches and Fíli scowls, earning a low chuckle from a nodding Thorin.

Dís is laughing silently behind her hand, giving a nod to Thorin when he glances her way. Returning the nod, the brunet takes one last glance at the couple before ducking back under the water, Dwalin following a few seconds later.

When they disappear into the dark waters, Dís and Bofur stand to leave, saying their goodbyes to Fíli as they head down the dock. Kíli flops onto his back on the dock, pulling Fíli between his legs as he tries to process everything that’s happened in the last hour.

“That was the scariest approval I’ve ever had,” Kíli offers a few minutes later, Fíli snorting into his chest and flicking water lazily with his tail. “Seriously, I can’t believe I survived that.”

“Will keep you safe,” Fíli hums, smirking at the loud yawn that comes from the brunet. “Kíli tired?”

“Yeah, just a bit,” the human confesses, running his hands up and down Fíli’s back, slipping over his rear end and dragging them back up innocently. Fíli remains silent, a grin spreading over his face when he feels Kíli’s breathing even out a few minutes later. Settling in more comfortably, Fíli closes his eyes against the moonlight and follows Kíli into a light sleep.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next four days are going to be complete and utter hell at work, but I do plan on updating this on Saturday or Sunday.
> 
>  
> 
> Okay so~a few days ago I had this thought that exploded into a 8500+ word chapter/story with the mer!AU going into strange waters(I am so lame) and I don't know if it should be an ending to this story or a sort of spin-off... What I'm nervous about is that it's an mpreg story, and I know a lot of people aren't into that. I honestly never thought I'd be writing mpreg, but hey, I guess there's a first time for everything. SO! Please let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kíli gets sick after a late night swim. Cue helpful!Fíli and needy sick!Kíli!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone and want to hug them for all their kind words and kudos!!! 
> 
> But, new chapter first and more notes later!
> 
> ☆ ★Thank you for beta reading, naity_sama! ★ ☆

* * *

 

Kíli coughs wetly into his pillow, turning onto his side and reaching for the glass of lukewarm water his mother had left him.  He get only a few sips in before the coughing started up again, his hands shaking and spilling the water onto the bed.

His mother comes in the doorway to witness the spill, rushing to Kíli’s side and setting the bowl of broth down on the bedside table as she takes the glass from her son. “Oh Kíli, you’re a pitiful sight,” she says kindly, setting the glass onto the table and reaching over to brush sweaty hair back from her son’s forehead.

“It’s too hot, Mama,” Kíli complains, trying to push the sheets off his body in an attempt to cool down. Dís fusses with the blankets, tucking them under Kíli’s arms and giving him a stern look.

“Óinsaid to keep you nice and warm to sweat the fever out.” Dís reminds her son, who shakes his head and turns glassy eyes to the brunette woman, though they can’t quite hold focus on her. “Are you regretting your midnight swim now, hmm?”

Kíli grimaces at the thought of swimming, though it morphs into a lazy smile as that train of thought drifts to Fíli. His mother gives him a fond smile, leaning up and over the brunet to gather his sweaty hair into a ponytail and tie it up away from his neck.

“Is that better?” She asks softly, Kíli humming lightly, though it turns into a coughing fit when the action tickles his throat. Dís reaches for the glass of water, helping Kíli hold it as he takes a slow drink. “I’m guessing you don’t want any soup,” Dís comments with a frown, Kíli’s face scrunching up at the thought of food.

“What can I do, Kíli? Do you want some warm tea? That new teashop just opened in town, maybe the man who runs it would know what would be good for a cold. He seems to know a lot about good food and drink,” Dís says distractedly, Kíli nodding his head slowly as if only to get his mother to stop talking.

“Alright, I’ll pop into town and ask him. Do you need anything before I leave?” Dís asks while she stands from the bed, Kíli waving her off sluggishly and closing his eyes. Heading out of the room in a flurry of movement, Dís returns a few minutes later with a cold compress and glass of ice.

Kíli cracks his eyes open when she placed the damp cloth on his forehead, sighing at the small relief it offers. Dís grabs a cube of ice and pops into Kíli’s mouth, the brunet mumbling his thanks when his mother places the ice within easy reach.

“Now, you get some rest. I’ll be back later.”

After she leaves, Kíli falls into an uneasy sleep, waking up every twenty minutes or so and shifting slightly, shaky hands reaching into the glass to fish out more ice.

The sounds of a muffled crashing noise wake him from his fitful sleep, and Kíli grimaces when he reaches for the ice and finds only lukewarm water in the glass. He places the now useless cup onto the bedside table next to the cold soup and waits for his mother to appear.

Minutes tick by without his door opening, and Kíli frowns at the loud thumping noise coming from the living room. Just when he’s about to get up and check it out, the door flies open and crashes into the wall.

Kíli cringes at the loud noise, screwing his eyes shut with a frown and letting out a whimper. A familiar voice fills the quiet room, and Kíli’s eyes snap open when he belatedly realizes it isn’t his mother’s.

“Sorry Kíli, sorry.”

Kíli knows he’s either dead or dreaming because there’s no way Fíli would be standing in his bedroom on his own two legs otherwise. The blond is leaning on the doorway, though even in his hazy sickness, Kíli notes how wobbly Fíli is on his human legs.

Pushing off the doorway with a confident look, Fíli stumbles towards Kíli’s bed and comes to stand where Dís had been earlier. He gives Kíli a sad look, reaching over to right the skewed cloth on the brunet’s forehead.

“Kíli okay? Kíli…sick?” Fíli asks, brain fumbling to find the right word. Kíli nods distractedly at the blond, not realizing the blond merman-turned-human is really in his bedroom. Fíli frowns at the faraway look Kíli has, reaching a hand up and placing it under the cloth on his forehead.

Kíli croons at the cool feeling of Fíli’s hand, his body temperature still lower than normal even when he’s in human form. The noise startles Fíli and he almost falls back on his bottom, catching himself at the last minute. He shoots a glare at Kíli, though the heat of the look is lost on the sick brunet. With a sigh, Fíli sits gingerly on the side of the bed, reaching back across and offering his hand to the brunet’s grabby hands. Kíli places Fíli’s palm back onto his heated skin, the blond frowning again at how hot his human feels.

“Thasss nice, Fee,” Kíli slurs happily, trying to get as much of Fíli’s cool skin on his own as he can. Fíli leans closer, glad he decided to forego the shirt that went with the pair of shorts he was wearing. Kíli had left a set of clothes under the dock for Fíli when he became human, but the blond had never needed to use them, since he preferred his normal form.

Kíli starts to cough again, both Fíli’s hand and the cloth slipping from his forehead and falling to the side of the bed. The brunet leans up and curls into himself, the coughing fit causing tremors to wrack throughout Kíli’s entire body.

Fíli hovers with a worried look, crawling up onto the bed fully and settling beside the brunet human. “Kee okay?” Fíli asks quietly, reaching over and resting his hand on Kíli’s back, rubbing circles into the tight muscles.

Kíli sits up when the tremors pass, leaning into Fíli heavily and sighing at the cool relief he’s met with. Fíli adjusts his pose, lifting his arm and moving to lie flat on the bed as he brings Kíli down with him. The brunet moves his head onto Fíli’s chest, rolling onto his side and throwing both an arm and leg over the other to maximize skin contact. The blond smiles as he pulls Kíli up so they’re chest to chest, Kíli’s face buried in the juncture of Fíli’s shoulder and neck.

Bringing his arms up under Kíli’s, Fíli rests his hands on the brunet’s back and rubs circles into the flushed skin. Kíli sighs as his skin begins to cool slightly, Fíli singing a lullaby softly in his musical voice.

It doesn’t take long for Kíli to fall asleep, his shaky breathing casting a permanent frown on Fíli’s face. The blond carefully picks at the ponytail below him, pulling it free and carding his hands through the damp hair. He twists it up into a knot on top of Kíli’s head and uses the small elastic to keep it in place. It takes a few tries, but he finally gets it to stay, Kíli letting out a happy sigh in his sleep.

A while later, Fíli’s sharp hearing catches the sound of someone else in the house moving about a few rooms over. He soon hears the whistling of a teakettle and relaxes, knowing it has to be Kíli’s mother. Sure enough, a few moments later Dís steps into the room carrying a small tray.

She’s so startled at the sight of them that she almost drops the tray, the teacup sliding to the side dangerously and knocking into a taller glass of ice. Kíli shifts on the blond’s chest and both Dís and Fíli freeze and stare at him. Turning his head, Kíli buries back into the blond’s shoulder, a few coughs escaping him before he drifts back to sleep.

When Fíli looks back up, Dís still has a shocked look on her face as she stares at the blond’s legs peeking out from under Kíli. She shakes her head and heads into the room, placing the tray on Kíli’s bedside table and replacing the cold soup bowl and glass of warm water with the glass of ice and cup of tea.

“We have to wake him,” she whispers to Fíli, pulling a small bottle out of her pocket and placing it next to the cup of tea. Fíli nods hesitantly, bringing his hands up and running them up and down the length of Kíli’s back. He leans down slightly to whisper into Kíli’s ear, the smooth tones causing the brunet to shift and lift his head slowly. He turns glassy brown eyes to the blond, Fíli’s song pulling him from his hazy sleep.

Dís sits on the side of the bed and watches the two of them, brushing a few stray hairs back behind her son’s ear. The brunet blinks a few times, frowning when he can’t dismiss the thick haze surrounding everything around him. Fíli leans down and kisses him swiftly, Kíli’s eyes clearing and focusing on the blond that pulls away.

“Fee? Mama?” He croaks, Dís reaching for the cup of warm tea as Fíli urges him up into a sitting position. He spreads his legs and pulls Kíli up so his back is against the blond’s chest, Fíli’s cool arms wrapping comfortably around his waist.

“Welcome back, Kíli,” Dís smiles, helping Kíli drink the tea. The brunet wrinkles his nose at the strange taste, leaning back against Fíli with a tired sigh. “You need to take this medicine I got from Óin,” Dís says as she grabs the bottle, shaking a few small pills into her palm. Kíli rears back even further into Fíli’s chest, turning his head away with a defiant shake.

“Come on Kíli, if you take these then you can go back to bed,” Dís cajoles, remembering the few times her son was sick as a boy and refused to take his medicine.  She watches in amazement as Fíli leans forward to whisper something into Kíli’s ear, the brunet’s eyes glazing slightly as he holds his shaking hands out for the medicine.

“How did you do that?” The brunette woman asks Fíli, whose eyes flick up to meet hers for a few seconds.

“Call,” Fíli says simply as Kíli tilts his head back, popping the pills into his mouth and reaching for Dís. She raises the cup and helps him wash the pills down, placing her hand on his forehead when he relaxes back into Fíli.

“A siren’s call,” she whispers in awe, though Fíli’s attention is back on the clammy brunet. Dís shakes her head and reaches for the cup of ice, offering a few to Kíli and smiling at how quickly he gobbles them up. Fíli watches with questioning eyes, tilting his head to the side at the sight of the opaque cubes.

Dís hands him one with a grin, chuckling when Fíli pops it into his mouth and turns wide eyes to the brunette woman. “Cold!” He sputters, legs twitching happily as the ice melted in his mouth. Dís puts the cup of ice down where Fíli could easily reach it before standing and gathering up the tray.

“Make sure he gets some sleep, okay Fíli?” She tells the blond quietly, Fíli nodding his agreement and shifting into a flat position with Kíli on his chest once again. “Do you need anything?” Dís asks the merman softly and gets a shake of his head in response. With one last glance at the two of them Dís heads out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Kíli’s fingers scratch lightly against Fíli’s chest, prompting the blond to glance down at the dark eyes watching him. Kíli reaches for the ice and snags a piece with shaky fingers, dropping it accidentally onto the bed with a whine.

Fíli scoops it up with a grin, popping it into his mouth and ignoring Kíli’s whine. Pulling the brunet slightly higher onto his chest, Fíli leans down and kissed him, shifting the melting ice into Kíli’s hot mouth. The brunet hums happily at the cool treat, sucking softly on Fíli’s cold tongue.

Fíli shifts as something in his body stirs, Kíli chuckling as he pulls away and lies his head back down. “Thanks, Fee,” he murmurs sleepily, hooking his leg with Fíli’s lazily and drifting off into a peaceful sleep. Fíli watches him with smile, bringing his hand up and rubbing his thumb lazily along Kíli’s neck. Using his free hand to set the glass back onto the table, Fíli settles in comfortably and drifts off to sleep behind Kíli.

 

* * *

 

When Kíli awakens a few hours later, he feels much better than before. Though, when he tries to lift himself on his arms, they collapse under his weight and his head smashes back into the pillow. With a low groan, he rolls over onto his side, frowning as the only sight he sees is rumpled blankets and pillows.

His throat is dry and he reaches for the glass of water on the bedside table, downing the warm liquid in one go. The brunet sits up slowly, wondering if he should tell Fíli he had dreamed of him in his hazy sickness. The blond would probably scoff at him with a fond smile, the thought of it making Kíli grin.

The sound of the door creaking open draws Kíli’s attention away from his thoughts, his mother peeking her head in and smiling at the sight of him up and awake. “You look better,” she comments as she bustles into the room, bringing him a new cup of tea hand handing it to him when she sits on the bed. She glances back towards the doorway and shakes her head, turning back and reaching over to feel Kíli’s forehead.

“I feel better,” Kíli agrees with a nod, drinking the warm tea and looking to his mother with a smile. “This tea isn’t all that bad,” he confesses before finishing the cup and handing it back to his mother.

“That’s good to hear. The shop owner, Bilbo Baggins, knows a lot about teas, so he was a great help.” Dís tells her son with a soft smile as Kíli relaxes back into his pillows.

“I had the best dream,” Kíli tells his mother as he closes his eyes and leans his head back. “Well, I was still sick and that sucked, but Fee was here and—”

A noise from the doorway interrupts him, and Kíli opens his eyes lazily, wondering if his mother has wandered off while he was in mid sentence. He shoots forward in bed when he sees Fíli standing in the doorway, dressed properly in a pair of shorts and one of Kíli’s tank tops.

“Kíli awake!” The blond grins, stumbling the few steps into the room as he makes his way to the bed. Dís chuckles at the sight, moving up and off the bed to make room for the blond. Fíli collapses onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and crawls his way up towards Kíli, brushing the stunned brunet’s hair back and placing the back of his hand on Kíli’s forehead with a quick look to Dís.

The woman smiles at him, nodding in confirmation that he’s doing the gesture right. Fíli turns happily back to Kíli and smiles at how much the brunet’s temperature has lowered in a few hours. “Kíli better?”

“I’ll go make you two some soup,” Dís says with a grin, taking the empty dishes with her and whirling out of the room.

“You’re…you’re really here.” Kíli says quietly, taking in Fíli’s human appearance and not quite believing what he’s seeing. Fíli croons happily as he leans forward, nuzzling his face in Kíli’s neck and pressing soft kisses to his throat. “Fee…”

“Kíli better?” The blond repeats the question into Kíli’s skin, the brunet nodding distractedly and bringing his arms up to rub up and down Fíli’s arms. Pulling back, Fíli frowns, looking down at the thin fabric covering his chest. He grabs the bottom of it and pulls it up, trying to take it off with a bit of difficulty.

Kíli laughs at him, coughing a few times before reaching over and helping to pull the fabric up and over Fíli’s head. He tosses the top onto the floor and huffs when Fíli throws his arms around his chest, knocking the both of them flat onto the bed with the blond nuzzling into his chest with happy coos. “Kíli…”

Kíli grins at the blond’s affections, reaching up and carding his fingers through the tangled locks. His fingers twist the thick hair into an intricate braid, reaching up to pull the elastic from his own messy hair to tie off the end of Fíli’s braid.

Fíli’s fingers drift idly over the skin of Kíli’s chest and stomach, tracing along the scar that runs across the brunet’s side. Kíli covers the blond’s hand with his own, twining their fingers together and bringing them to lie across his stomach.

“Night, Fee,” the brunet whispers softly, squeezing Fíli’s pale hand tightly and yawning. A few minutes later, they’re both asleep, and when Dís comes back with two bowls of soup, she smiles fondly at the sight of them cuddled together in a large lump of limbs and blankets.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the positive replies about the mpreg thing, I've decided to post it as a separate spin-off story because I know I'll never be able to end it as a one-shot, too many ideas! I still have to do edits and think of a cheesy name, so I'm not sure when it'll be up.
> 
> I started writing a prequel to this chapter, about the 'midnight swim' Dís points out. And of course my mind automatically turns to sexytimes, which will definitely feature mer~bottom!Fíli! I hope to have it up sometime this week!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fíli decides to surprise his favorite human for his birthday~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kíli’s birthday chapter, which really ending up being a 'throw all these ideas into one chapter and hope it works' chapter!
> 
> I wanted to write this for LittlestSecret, whose amazing art and writing inspires and gives me courage to write new things. 
> 
> With that said, sorry not sorry but this is about 90% pure smut.

* * *

 

“Okay, one more time,” Dís whispers, Fíli nodding his head and leaning closer to the brunette woman.

“Happy birrrsshday,” Fíli says quietly, his voice barely wavering at the once-foreign words. Dís gives him a warm smile and nods, leading Fíli from the kitchen and down the hall towards Kíli’s room. It’s still early, and even if it wasn't Kíli’s birthday, he would definitely still be asleep. Dís and Fíli had planned this surprise a week ago, the brunette woman even teaching the merman how to properly greet the birthday boy.

Fíli had practiced the words all week, and now he was ready to surprise his human.

With a nod and smile, Dís quietly pushes the door to Kíli’s room open, urging Fíli inside. The blond mer-turned-human only stumbles for a few seconds before straightening up and walking slowly into the dark room.

He can just barely make out Kíli’s figure among the piles of blankets and pillows on the bed. A tousled brunet head is poking out from the blankets, Fíli smiling as he ambles over to the side of the bed and grins down at the sleeping human. He reaches over to peel the blanket back from Kíli’s face, the brunet completely oblivious as he sleeps on.

Looking down at his legs, Fíli frowns in concentration as he bends his knees a few times, the dry sand clinging to his legs falling to the floor with the motions. The blond shrugs, turning his attention back to Kíli and carefully kneeling up onto the bed. Before Kíli can awaken and notice the shift in the bed, Fíli lurches forward and covers the brunet’s body with his own.

“Whaaa?” Kíli jolts awake, unfocused eyes darting around the room wildly before settling on the weight resting on his chest. His eyes focus on Fíli, who gives him a proud grin and wiggles to get his legs up onto the bed.

“Happy birrrssday!” Fíli shouts, pleased with himself for remembering the phrase Dís had taught him a few days ago. He’d been practicing on getting the words right, though without Dís here he’s not sure he mastered them. Kíli’s brilliant smile and laugh signal he must have gotten something right, and when the brunet shifts so Fíli is lying on his chest, Fíli gets a sweet kiss in reward. Wrapping his arms around the blond, Kíli smiles into the kiss and holds a happy Fíli tightly.

“Thanks, Fee!” He rasps, voice still half full of sleep. Kíli runs his hands up and down Fíli’s back, quirking an eyebrow at the gritty feeling of dried sand. “Fall down on your way here?”

“Mmhmmm,” Fíli purrs, nestling his face into Kíli’s neck and pressing a warm kiss to the tanned skin. The brunet giggles, a knock at the door causing Fíli to jump. Kíli laughs as he shifts his head around Fíli to see his mother pop her head in the doorway.

“Happy birthday, Kíli! I see you’ve gotten your surprise,” Dís laughs, watching Fíli scramble up to sit on Kíli’s bottom half, turning towards her with a grin.

“Fee said it right! Wake up!” Fíli tells her proudly, turning back to Kíli and leaning down against his chest. Dís smiles at the sight, shaking her head and looking to her son.

“Sweet rolls for dessert later,” she starts, eyes widening as Fíli shoots up and tries to scramble off the bed. Kíli laughs, bringing his arms up around the blond to hold him steady.

“Calm down, Fíli, they’re not going anywhere!” Kíli laughs, the blond stilling his movements and giving the brunet a sheepish smile. Dís chuckles from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with a fond smile.

“None for either of you until you’ve showered,” she says in a mock stern voice, Kíli groaning and Fíli giving him a questioning look.

“Sshowwer?”

“But Mama, it’s my birthday!” Kíli whines playfully, shifting his hips to the side and catching Fíli by surprise, toppling him over onto the bed. The blond lets out a yelp as he tumbles over, Kíli throwing the blankets over the both of them.

“That’s no excuse not to bathe. What are you, ten? Go on then, and take Fíli with you. I have to head into town and get a few things for dinner, so you both better be clean and dressed by the time I get back this afternoon.” Dís tells the boys, Kíli popping out from under the blankets and giving her a nod. Fíli follows his actions belatedly, giving a nod and grin of his own. With a shake of her head, Dís heads back to the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

Kíli buries back down into the bed, his peace only lasting a few seconds before Fíli starts poking him in the side. “Kíli, up? Ssshowerr?”

With a groan, Kíli rolls to his side and traps Fíli’s arm under his body. He laughs at the blond’s narrowed eyes before sitting up, Fíli following close behind.

“Right, a shower,” Kíli says, lifting the blankets and looking down at their legs with a grin. “We need to strip the bedding, too. Its all covered in sand.”

“Oops!”

With a laugh, Kíli clambers over the side of the bed and stands, stretching his arms up over his head and rocking onto his toes. Fíli watches him with a smile, his eyes focusing on the strip of skin showing at the brunet’s waist as his shirt rides up. Kíli digs around his closet for a clean towel, turning back to the blond with a cheerful smile.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

 

* * *

 

Once in the bathroom, Kíli directs the blond to sit on the edge of the bathtub, stepping away to pull the showerhead from the wall and position it over the tub. Fíli watches with wide eyes, trying to figure out just what a ‘shower’ is. He smiles happily and averts his gaze to the tub, knowing from past experiences that whatever they did in the bathroom would require water. Maybe he wouldn't have to stay human for much longer after all.

He turns his smug grin to Kíli, the brunet shaking his head as he ushers Fíli to stand. “Don’t get too excited yet,” Kíli warns, leaning down to twist the taps and start the water. Fíli makes a pleased noise, frowning when Kíli pulls the shower curtain shut and turns to face him.

“Okay, clothes off!” The brunet smiles as he begins to pull his pajamas off, Fíli hastily stripping off his shorts and t-shirt with little difficulty. As Fíli kicks the shorts from his feet, Kíli leans in to pull the blond a deep kiss. Fíli tilts his head, his hands coming up to rest on Kíli’s waist to steady himself.

Pulling back, Kíli gives him a grin, grabbing the blond’s hand and leading him towards the shower. Pushing the curtain aside, the brunet steps into the warm spray and tugs Fíli in after him.

Fíli stumbles into the shower, wrapping his arms around Kíli as he waits for the change. When nothing happens, he looks up at the brunet in shock and confusion.

“I told you not to get too excited!” Kíli says with a laugh, wrapping his arms around Fíli and stepping back so the blond is in the warm water. Fíli wiggles in the hold, Kíli groaning as his leg grazes his budding erection.

“Kiliii! Too hot!” Fíli whines, trying to back out of the shower and tipping precariously to the side. Kíli tightens his hold, reaching back and turning the cold tap a bit higher.

“You big baby! Better?” Kíli asks with a laugh, the blond nodding as he shifts into Kíli’s chest to get closer to the water. With a chuckle, Kíli spins them, Fíli taking the brunt of the spray while he searches for the soap. 

Finding a bottle of ocean scented shampoo, Kíli dumps a palmful into one hand and brings Fíli out of the spray with the other. The blond watches his movements, nose wrinkling when Kíli brings his soapy hands up and into his hair.

Kíli almost laughs at how quickly Fíli’s face smoothes out, eyes closing at the feeling of long fingers scratching at his scalp. Kíli takes his time, rubbing a plethora of bubbles into Fíli’s salty hair and massaging the blond’s head with his movements. Fíli leans forward, resting his forehead on the brunet’s shoulder as he purrs happily.

“Okay, you big kitten, lean back,” Kíli chuckles, sticking his hands into the water to clean them before helping Fíli tilt his head back. Kíli scrubs the shampoo out, Fíli humming happily as the water in his hair runs clean. Kíli takes a moment to squirt some shampoo into his hand again, bringing it up to rub hastily though his own long hair.

Fíli watches the bubbles manifest, stepping closer to the brunet and lifting his hands to help. Kíli groans as their groins meet, a small smile splaying across his face when he realizes Fíli’s getting just as hard as he is, though the blond doesn't seem to notice. With his tongue poking between his lips, Fíli works his fingers into brunet hair to spread the shampoo around evenly.

Kíli wraps his arms around the blond, switching their places once more and bumping their hips together. Fíli looks down with a gasp, his eyes widening as he takes in their arousals. Kíli quickly rinses his hair, hooking a finger under Fíli’s chin to bring his face up into a kiss.

“Almost done,” Kíli murmurs, stepping even closer to the blond to reach around for the soap. Their arousals line up perfectly with the movement, Fíli tipping his head back slightly as his hips shift forward into Kíli’s.

“Guhh, Fee,” Kíli moans, stepping back with a heated look fixed on the blond. “Hold out your hands,” Kíli instructs, squeezing the bottle of soap into Fíli’s cupped hands. Fíli looks down at the clear liquid, Kíli bringing his own hands up to scoop up some of the soap.

Pressing his hands onto Fíli’s chest, the brunet begins soaping him up quickly and efficiently, Fíli taking a few moments before mirroring the actions. He brushes his hands over Kíli’s chest in slow movements, fingers catching on the buds of soapy nipples and tracing them in small circles. Kíli moans, bucking his hips forward into Fíli’s as his hands grab at the blond’s arms.

Pushing Fíli back slightly, Kíli spins the blond around and pulls him in so his chest is flush against Fíli’s back, hard erection pressing snugly against Fíli’s ass. Brining his hands up to collect the soap from his chest, Kíli dips his hands down and fists Fíli’s cock in a slippery grip. The mer-turned-human moans loudly, knees buckling as he tips his head back onto Kíli’s shoulder. “Kíli, yes…”

Bringing a hand up to wrap around Fíli’s waist, Kíli mouths at the blond’s neck while he pumps the heavy arousal in tandem with his thrusts against Fíli’s backside. “So good, Fee,” Kíli groans, his cock butting between Fíli’s ass every few thrusts. Dragging them further into the spray of the shower, Kíli twists his wrist a few times, pumping Fíli with faster strokes and making the blond cry out.

Fíli lifts a hand to reach back to bury it in Kíli’s wet hair, thrusting back into the brunet’s erection before jerking forward in the warm grip. Fíli gives a sharp cry, moaning in a mix of his own language and English as he comes into Kíli’s hand. Kíli slows his movements, loosening his hold on Fíli’s spent cock as he milks the blond through his orgasm. Fíli continues to moan in a garbled voice, his hand pulling Kíli down into a sensual kiss under the spray of the water.

Kíli pulls back, intent on handling his own problem the same way he handled Fíli’s. Before he can reach down for his own erection, Fíli drops to his knees in front of him and takes the wet erection into his mouth.

“Fuck!” Kíli hisses, throwing an arm out to brace against the shower wall. The warmth of Fíli’s mouth and chill of the shower spray pushing him towards the edge after only a few bobs of the blond’s head. Fíli hollows his cheeks and sucks, Kíli bringing his free hand up to fist in blond hair as he comes.

“Fuck, Fee, so good,” Kíli moans, his hips stuttering forward as he releases down Fíli’s throat. The blond’s eyes widen, his throat automatically relaxing as he swallows Kíli’s release. He pulls back with a smile, licking softly at the brunet’s spent erection before standing on wobbly legs.

“Happy birssday.”

Kíli pulls Fíli against him, crashing their mouths together in a searing kiss. Fíli loops his arm around Kíli’s neck, his human body shivering at the cool water falling down around them. Kíli pulls back at the tremors, turning to shut the water off and pull the curtain aside.

Grabbing a large towel, Kíli sets about drying the both of them quickly. Fíli giggles at the brunet’s hurried movements, snatching the fluffy towel from the brunet and wrapping it around himself. “Like ssshowwers,” the blond says with a grin, Kíli chuckling as he leads them back to his bedroom.

They stumble into the room, Fíli leaning heavily into the brunet and toppling them over onto the bed. Kíli laughs as they lay splayed across the end of the bed, his eyebrow quirking at the sight of Fíli staring down at himself.

With wide eyes, the blond reaches down to touch his length hesitantly, brow furrowing when he doesn't slip back inside. Turning wide eyes to Kíli, Fíli looks down at Kíli’s half hard erection and furrows his brows.

“W-wrong? Stuck out?” Fíli murmurs mostly to himself, Kíli sitting up and reaching over to pull the blond up further onto the bed. He kicks the towel to the floor as he goes, pushing a confused Fíli down onto his back. Shifting so he straddles Fíli’s thighs, Kíli can feel himself harden once more at their positions.

“Everything’s fine, Fee. It’s supposed to be like that,” Kíli says with a light blush. The blond is staring intently at their growing arousals, and when Kíli can’t take it anymore, he reaches down to wrap his hand around the blond. Fíli moans, tipping his head back into the pillows and rocking up reflexively into Kíli’s grip. Kíli fists the blond a few times, the water dripping from their hair slicking their chests as he easily coaxes Fíli to full hardness.

The blond’s hands clench in the sheets as he whines, legs spasming together and to the side with the motions he knows from having a tail. Kíli reaches back with one hand, nudging the blond’s knees apart and settling back more comfortably on the blond’s thighs.

“This okay?” Kíli grunts, his own hips rocking forward to bump his erection lightly against Fíli’s balls. The blond keens, nodding his head furiously and shifting his hips up into Kíli’s fist.

“More, Kee,” Fíli moans, his hands coming up to latch onto Kíli’s hips. The brunet leans over Fíli’s chest, pressing an openmouthed kiss to the blond’s panting mouth.

Kíli shifts his weight to his knees, pulling back and leaning to one side to pull his bedside table drawer open to rummage inside. Fíli’s gaze focuses on the brunet’s heavy cock, reaching a tentative hand out to wrap loosely around it. Kíli freezes at the touch, moaning when Fíli slides his hand down the weeping length.

“Tighter, Fee,” Kíli grunts, his hand rooting around in the drawer for the tube of lubricant he knows is in there. Fíli tightens his grip minimally, Kíli huffing and reaching his free hand down to close around Fíli’s over himself. “Like this, see?”

Fíli squeezes tighter under Kíli’s grip, eyes widening when he realizes his sharp nails are gone in this form. His mind zips back to the shower, and with a slow grin he begins to pump Kíli in an achingly tight grip.

“Yes, that’s it, Fee!” Kíli lets out a low moan, almost dropping the small bottle as he sits back on top of the blond. He flips the cap of the lube open, drizzling some over his own erection and Fíli’s fist. The blond’s eyes widen at the even smoother slide, picking up his pace and watched with heated eyes as Kíli bucks up into his movements.

Kíli pours some lube into his own hand, reaching down and fisting Fíli’s cock in the same rhythm. They continue the pattern of bucks and thrusts, and on Fíli’s next upward thrust, Kíli rolls them over and settles back against the blankets. Moving his hands up to steady the blond seated on his lap, Kíli watches Fíli’s stunned face with a smirk. The blond looks around, blinking owlishly at the new position before he looks down to Kíli with dark eyes. The brunet smiles up at him, one hand coming up to wrap around Fíli’s arousal and pump slowly.

“Kee yes, faster, more!” Fíli moans, rocking forward into the grip and then back against the brunet’s erection trapped snugly beneath his ass. Kíli grunts under Fíli’s movements, brining his free arm up and around Fíli’s back to pull him down. Fíli stays low, rocking forward as Kíli lubes his fingers up once more.

With the new angle, Kíli can reach back and run his fingers along the blond’s crease, dipping between and finding the tight furl of muscle nestled there. When Fíli lets out a needy moan, Kíli realizes the motions of his hand have all but stopped around the blond’s cock.

“Sorry, Fee,” Kíli apologizes, picking up the pace of his hand as he circles Fíli’s hole with a slim digit. Fíli’s breath is coming in harsh gasps, his keening whines a dead giveaway to how close he is to coming. With a sly grin, Kíli slowly presses the tip of his finger into the blond, sending Fíli over the edge with a shout as he comes across Kíli’s stomach.

Fisting the blond’s erection a few more times, Kíli relaxes his grip and brings his arms up around the blond, who collapses against his chest. Huffing at the awkward position of his legs, Fíli spreads his knees out wide to frame the brunet’s hips, arms coming up Kíli’s side to latch onto his shoulders.

“You okay?” Kíli whispers after a few moments, when Fíli’s breathing has slowed back to normal as he nuzzles into Kíli’s chest.

“Mmhmm, good Kee,” Fíli mumbles, humming when Kíli’s slick fingers come back to run along the crease of his bottom. Kíli probes the small opening hesitantly, and when Fíli starts sucking at his chest, he dips the tip of his finger back inside.

“Is this okay?” Kíli asks again, worried the feeling may be different from when he fingers the blond’s tail; that Fíli won’t like it. To his relief, Fíli nods against him, his knees knocking into Kíli’s sides before spreading just a bit wider to open himself up for the brunet.

Kíli goes achingly slow, dipping his finger in to the first knuckle and holding it there for too long. Fíli rocks back onto the digit, moaning when more slips inside. Kíli hisses out a curse, sliding his finger in and out of the panting blond. Fíli moans against his chest, one hand coming up to fist in the sheets as he rocks his hips back into Kíli’s movements.

“Kee, more. Need more,” Fíli groans, his hips stilling for a few seconds as Kíli adds another finger. Within moments, he’s lifting his ass up into the air and rocking back against the brunet’s hand, newly awakened erection bobbing against Kíli’s abdomen.

“Like that, Fíli? Does it feel good?” Kíli whispers, twisting and scissoring his fingers within the blond. Fíli nods against him, lifting himself up on his elbows and resting his head on Kíli’s chest. When Kíli adds a third finger the blond growls, falling forward onto Kíli’s chest with a yelp. Fíli’s legs spasm out to the side, Kíli pulling his hand back with a startled grunt at the sudden weight on his chest.

Kíli chuckles when Fíli lifts himself onto his elbows, clearly not used to how boneless his legs can be. “Tuck your knees into my hips,” Kíli instructs, reaching down to help Fíli into a more stable position. The blond follows the movements, and with a nod Kíli is slowly sliding his fingers back home into Fíli. Once again, he adds a third finger carefully, Fíli’s pain mixing with pleasure as he rocks back in little movements, his erection slapping against Kíli’s under his legs.

With a hiss, Kíli’s hips buck upwards, pressing into the blond’s crease and causing both humans to let out a low moan. Fíli lifts his head, locking eyes with the brunet and thrusting himself back forcefully with shaking legs.

“Inside, Kíli inside, now,” Fíli pants, pushing himself up and hovering over Kíli on shaking arms and legs. Kíli’s fingers slip out with a pop, his hand searching for the bottle of lube lying next to his leg. He laughs when he ends up with more lube on the bed than in his hand, Fíli smiling down at him with a heated smile. Stroking himself a few times and making sure he’s liberally coated in the slippery gel, Kíli lines himself up with Fíli’s hole and helps the blond down slowly.

Fíli croons when the head of Kíli’s cock breaches him, Kíli reaching out and locking their fingers together in a tight grip. “Shhh. Oh shit, Fee, you’re so tight. That’s it, nice and slow,” Kíli whispers, his free hand tightening on Fíli’s hip in a bruising grip. The blond shuts his eyes as he lowers himself onto Kíli’s hard prick, breathing out through his nose as he slides down slowly to press flush against Kíli’s hips.

Kíli tightens his hold on their hands, his thumb brushing along Fíli’s knuckle as his hand moves down to splay across the blond’s quivering thighs. “Fee, are you okay?” Kíli wonders aloud, Fíli’s dark eyes opening and flashing pain to the brunet. Hitching a breath, Kíli’s eyes widen as he makes to slowly lift Fíli off himself, only for the blond to lean down over his chest and kiss him deeply.

“S’okay, little hurt,” Fíli mumbles against his mouth, and when Kíli’s hand shifts hesitantly to the blond’s thick erection, Fíli drops his head onto Kíli’s chest with a pleasured moan.

“Fee, we can stop. We don’t have to—”

Fíli shuts the brunet up with an experimental swivel of his hips, his grimace shifting as Kíli’s cock presses along his insides. Kíli remains completely still, his forehead beading with sweat as Fíli continues to rock with little motions. With a sigh, the blond leans back, a moan escaping flushed lips as Kíli’s cock settles just a bit deeper with the new angle.

“Kíli move, slowly,” Fíli orders, using his shaking, unfamiliar thighs to lift himself a few inches before easing back down. Kíli brings a hand up to bite his knuckle, muffling his moans as Fíli works himself at a steady pace. After a few shaky thrusts downward, Fíli falls into an easy rhythm and pulls himself up further before dropping back down.

Kíli watches with a dazed expression before thrusting up lightly, Fíli’s head tipping back as he slams down against Kíli’s thrusts. Spurred on by the force of Fíli’s movements, Kíli bucks up harder and sends Fíli into a wild keen. Keeping an eye out for any sign of pain in prince’s face, Kíli continues to meet Fíli’s thrusts until the blond’s legs collapse and he slams back down with a deep thrust.

“Oh shit, Fee!” Kíli grunts as Fíli pants against him, pulling out slowly and ignoring the blond’s whine when he pushes Fíli gently onto his back. Kíli leans over, Fíli reaches out with grabby hands and locks them around Kíli’s neck. Smiling down at Fíli, the brunet male shifts and hitches Fíli’s leg up over his hip, burying himself in the tight heat once more.

“Kee…”

While Kíli holds himself still, Fíli adjusts to the new angle and gives the brunet a nod. Kíli fucks into the tight heat low and slow, leaning over to whisper praises into the blond’s ear. Fíli hums happily, bringing his other leg up and around Kíli’s back, ankles hooking and heels digging into Kíli’s back.

Shooting a surprised look at the blond, Fíli just grins and digs his heels in to use as leverage to meet Kíli’s thrusts. They move against each other on the bed, falling into a rhythm that Fíli can keep up with in his human form. With a particularly hard thrust, Kíli feels the blond’s thighs tighten around him, Fíli’s broken moans coming quicker as he drag his hands down the brunet’s back.

“Kee, gunna…puhleassse touch,” Fíli whimpers, the brunet reaching in to wrap a hand around Fíli’s leaking erection.

“Like this, Fee? You gunna come in my hand?” Kíli asks, Fíli thrashing his head from side to side in a way that reminds Kíli of how he thrashes his tail when agitated or excited. The blond groans when Kíli picks up his pace, thrusts becoming uneven as Fíli deliberately tightens his inner walls around the brunet. “Fuck, Fee!”

“Kíli more, gunna…”

“Fee, I can’t…”

Moans intermixing, both humans come with harsh shudders, Fíli clamping down on the brunet and Kíli thrusting deeply into the tight heat of the prince. Fíli spills across Kíli’s hand and their stomachs, thick white ropes covering the dried seed from Fíli’s earlier release. Kíli rocks his hips in little movements to ride out his orgasm, falling down onto the bed between Fíli’s spread legs.

“Kíli okay?” The blond asks without opening his eyes, shaking fingers carding through Kíli’s thick hair in soothing motions. The brunet hums happily, nuzzling his face into Fíli’s neck and letting out a content sigh.

“Are _you_ okay? Hurt anywhere?” Kíli whispers against Fíli’s neck, pulling back to search azure eyes for any signs of pain. Fíli shakes his head, wincing only slightly when Kíli pulls out of his stretched opening.

Pulling away from the blond, Kíli pads over to his dresser and grabs a pair of boxers, slipping them on and ducking out of the room. He returns a few seconds later with a warm washcloth, crawling up onto the bed and wiping softly at Fíli’s stomach. The blond coos at the warm ministrations, but when Kíli rolls him to his side, he lets out a pained whine.

“Shit, Fee, are you okay? Let me look, hold still,” Kíli fusses with a frown, sighing in relief when the sheets are free of blood. He carefully checks Fíli’s backside, cleaning him up with the damn cloth and rolling him onto his stomach, grinning at the blond’s sleepy sigh. “You should probably stay in bed for a while,” Kíli mutters, shaking his head at the spark he sees in Fíli’s eyes when he glances over his shoulder.

“To rest,” Kíli points out with a stern look, which morphs into a grin when Fíli deflates. Kíli tosses the washcloth to the floor, curling up behind the blond and molding his front to Fíli’s back. He pulls Fíli’s hair together, twisting it into a messy knot at the top of his head.

“Thanks for my birthday present,” Kíli mumbles into Fíli’s neck, mouth sucking lightly at the wide expanse of pale skin he’d uncovered. “We’ll have to take another shower later,” Kíli says quietly, grinning into the blond’s skin at Fíli’s happy coo. The merman-turned-human shifts back to close the space between them, his hand reaching around and blindly searching for Kíli’s.

Kíli laces their fingers together and smiles when Fíli brings their hands up to his chest. He slots a leg between Fíli’s, the blond making room for him and squeezing their clasped hands.

“Love Kee,” Fíli murmurs sleepily, drifting off to sleep as Kíli kisses his neck and shoulder.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this might have been the hardest chapter for me to write so far. I'm still a bit clueless about writing sexy stuff, so I hope it all flows together.
> 
> ★ ☆Thank you naity_sama for beta-ing ~ hopefully soon I'll have something for you to read besides mer!au chapters☆ ★
> 
> I just realized about 80% of my chapters end with people going to sleep...I guess I need to work on that!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Fíli and Kíli, fishing is clearly done two very different ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I imagine this chapter is set a week or two before they confess to liking each other. Just fluff and happiness here, folks!
> 
> No beta because I just wrote this and am posting on a whim at 4am~

* * *

 

The hot afternoon sun beats down on sand and sea alike, a young brunet lifts his ball cap off and wipes at his forehead, replacing the hat and pulling it down to cover his eyes.  He looks out across the sea, eyes drifting back to focus on the red and white bobber floating along the clear blue water.

Kíli shifts his position on the dock, moving to sit on his bottom and crossing his legs out in front of him. Keeping a steady grip on the fishing pole, the brunet watches the bobber with a bored expression. His mother had told him she wanted fish tonight, and insisted Kíli go catch something instead of buying something at the market.

“Sometimes those fish are questionable! If _you_ catch it, I know it’ll be fresh,” Dís had said, though Kíli just frowned and gave her a confused look.

“Why don’t we get something from Bofur? I’m sure he—”

“Kíli, there are times when a mother wants to enjoy the rewards of her son’s hard work, so get to it!” Dís had said in a firm voice, shoving a packed lunch into the brunet’s hands and sending him out with his fishing pole. Kíli had stood on the front porch for a few seconds, trying to process what had happened before shrugging, grabbing an empty bucket off the porch, and heading to the beach.

Two hours later finds the brunet sitting cross-legged on the dock, having yet to catch something worth keeping for dinner. Resting the reel between his legs, Kíli leans his elbow on his knee and pillows his head in one hand. Watching the cool water lap at the dock, Kíli suddenly feels too hot to be sitting stationary under the heat of the sun.

Not even bothering to reel his line in, the brunet jams the handle of the fishing pole into a partially rotted hole in the wood, smirking in satisfaction when it holds perfectly. Scrambling to his feet, the teen pulls his hat off and throws it, along with his shirt, onto the dock next to the empty bucket.

Taking a few steps back, Kíli runs and jumps off the dock, sinking into the water feet first and waiting to feel his toes dig into the cool sand at the bottom. He blows a few bubbles from his mouth, watching them rise to the surface as he sinks down.

When his feet dig into the sand, Kíli grins and bends his legs. Waiting a few seconds, he pushes off the bottom and shoots up, using his arms once to propel himself up even faster. Breaking the surface, the brunet takes in a huge breath, treading water as he looks out towards his bobber. It continues to dip in the small waves, Kíli letting out a sigh and ducking back under the water to swim around.

Rolling over to lie on his back, Kíli drifts around in the cool water and watches the clouds pass overhead. He floats under the dock, circling the post before heading back out into the sunshine. He’s just about to roll over when arms latch around his waist, pulling him down under the clear water.

Placing his hands over the ones folded across his stomach, Kíli grins when he’s pulled back against a firm chest and rolled, his captor floating just under the surface with Kíli’s back pressed flush against his chest. Breaking the surface with a laugh, Kíli tips his head back and grins at the merman behind him. 

“Hello, Fíli,” he greets, dropping his legs down to drag in the water on either side of Fíli’s flicking tail. The blond tightens his hands on Kíli’s stomach, murmuring Kíli’s name happily amid a string of his own musical language. “What are you doing today?”

“Swimming,” Fíli replies cheekily, arching his back in a waving motion that has Kíli dipping under the water and wetting his drying hair. The brunet snorts at the answer, hooking his ankles together and lifting his legs under Fíli’s tail. The blond laughs at the motions, slapping the fin of his tail flat against the water and sending the splash everywhere.

“Kíli swim too?” Fíli wonders, stretching his tail to lie parallel with the ocean floor, Kíli bringing his feet up and resting them on the smooth scales. Fíli flicks his tailfin up, Kíli catching it with his feet and holding it captive.

“Mhmm,” Kíli agrees distractedly as he tries to keep the slippery fin between his feet. “I’m supposed to be fishing for dinner though,” he confesses, shifting his attention from his feet to Fíli. “Looks like I got quite the catch,” Kíli grins cheekily, wrapping his arms back around the blond.

Fíli snorts, dropping his tail and rolling them over into the water. Kíli releases his hold, kicking his legs and surfacing next to the blond. Fíli’s watching him with excitement, tail twitches restlessly below them. “Kíli fish? Catch fish?” The blond mimes catching a fish with his hands, Kíli laughing and shaking his head, much to Fíli’s confusion.

“I don't think I have that kind of skill,” Kíli chuckles, pointing out towards the bobber floating above the water. “My pole’s still on the dock, but I doubt I have any bait left.”

Fíli swims over to the bobber to inspect it, poking it a few times and frowning at it. “How…”

“There’s a line under, with a hook,” Kíli points out helpfully, swimming over to the blond and reaching down to clasp the line. Pulling it up, he carefully grabs the hook and shows it to Fíli. The blond merman reaches out to touch it, though Kíli pulls it back before he can inspect the sharp point.

“Don’t touch it, I really was joking about catching you,” Kíli says with a smile, Fíli still focused on the small piece of metal.

“How catch fish?” Fíli wonders, the brunet dropping the hook and swimming over to the dock to rest his arm along it, holding himself aloft in the water.

“Well, you usually put something on the end of the hook, like a worm or minnow, and when a fish swims by and bites it, the bobber dips under the water.” Kíli explains, Fíli’s brow furrowing as he tries to understand the human technique.

“Take long time?” Fíli wonders aloud, still trying to process the strange way humans so things. Kíli nods, pushing away from the dock and paddling out, Fíli swimming right beside him.

“Sometimes, it depends. Today nothing is biting, and if I don't bring something home, Mama will have a fit.” Kíli scoffs, diving below the surface and watching as Fíli dives past him towards the seafloor. Popping back up, Kíli looks around for Fíli when he doesn't automatically surface next to him.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Kíli murmurs, looking down and catching sight of green scales and blond hair deep below. Shrugging, Kíli reclines onto his back and waits for the blond to come back to him.

A few minutes later, a tug on his ankle has him dipping under, spitting out the seawater as Fíli appears in front of him. “There you are, I was wondering where—woah!”

Kíli’s eyes widen like saucers when Fíli brings his hand up, two huge, brightly colored fish squirming in his hold. He gives Kíli a cocky smirk, leaning forward and pressing his finger to the brunet’s nose in a playful gesture. “Catch with hands, easy!”

“Y-you caught those with your hands?” Kíli asks in awe, Fíli nodding and trying to hand them over to the brunet. “For me?” Kíli breathes, and when Fíli nods happily, Kíli returns the smile and motions for the blond to follow him to the docks. Swimming behind the brunet, Fíli carries the fish and waits patiently as Kíli lifts himself up onto the dock, reaching over to grab the five gallon bucket he’d grabbed off the porch.

Leaning down and scooping up some water, Kíli holds the bucket as Fíli drops the fish inside. Hauling the heavy plastic up onto the dock, Kíli looks down into it and smiles as the fish swim in their small enclosure.

“Thanks, Fee! You’re the best!” Kíli grins, jumping off the dock and into Fíli’s arms. The blond laughs, keeping the human afloat and looking at him with wide eyes.

“Kíli swim now? Stay and swim?” Fíli asks hopefully, the brunet nodding and reaching over to dunk Fíli’s head under the water.

“Yeah! Now that the work’s all done, it’s time to have some fun!” Kíli laughs, flopping backwards and doing a roll under the water. Fíli grins at him from below the surface, the two of them bursting through the water and flopping back down like a pair of spy hopping whales. While Kíli floats on his back to catch his breath, Fíli meanders over to the dock and hoists himself up, searching Kíli’s belongings for something fun.

Seeing an unfamiliar object, Fíli grabs it and sinks back into the water, swimming over to Kíli and flopping across his stomach. With an ‘oof,’ Kíli sinks under the water and comes up laughing, his eyes catching sight of what Fíli has in his hands.

“That’s a ball cap, you wear it on your head,” Kíli says, miming the action of placing it on his head. Fíli watches him carefully before going through the motions, wet hair plastered in his face as the cap sits lightly on his head. With a laugh, Kíli swims over and removes the hat, pushing Fíli’s head down into the water before quickly pulling him back up.

“Like this,” Kíli instructs, pushing Fíli’s wet hair away from his face before placing the cap on his head, tugging it down to fit just right. The blond reaches a curious hand up, tracing the small bit of fabric and giving Kíli a hesitant smile. “There, perfect!”

“Perfect,” Fíli parrots, ducking below the water and swimming around the laughing brunet. When he surfaces, he reaches up to check the hat, surprise flickering across his face when he realizes it’s still on his head. Kíli sends him an amused grin, swimming over to the dock and hauling himself up to grab his bagged lunch.

Glancing over at Kíli, as soon as the familiar brown bag comes into view, Fíli’s swimming to his side in an instant. Tail slapping against the water in anticipation, Kíli laughs at Fíli’s behavior as he fishes a hand around inside the bag. With a triumphant grin he pulls his hand out, a bag of carrots clutched tightly in his fist. He sets the snack in his lap, looking into the brown bag with a grin and pulling out one of the large sweet rolls his mother had made this morning.

Fíli croons happily at the familiar sight, tugging at Kíli’s ankles to get him back into the water. The brunet sets the roll aside, opening the bag of carrots and tossing one to the eager blond. Snatching it up, Fíli shovels it into his mouth and gives the brunet a smile. Grabbing the rest of the carrots from the bag, Kíli stuff the plastic into the brown bag and shifts off the end of the dock into the water.

The blond merman is upon him in an instant, wrapping his tail around Kíli’s legs and holding him aloft as he waits for his next treat. Kíli hands him the carrot, Fíli munching away as they bob up and down in the water. “Once we finish these, we can eat the sweet roll, but you have to come up on the dock to eat it.”

Nodding at the words, Fíli opens his mouth for another carrot, Kíli popping one in before shoving one into his own mouth. They finish the carrots quickly, Kíli even tossing the last one out into the water as far as he can throw it. Fíli’s there within seconds, gobbling it up and swimming back to the docks.

Hoisting themselves up onto the warm wood, Kíli helps the blond into a sitting position and grabs the roll. Handing the sweet bread to Fíli, the blond looks at him in question as he takes it hesitantly, tail swishing through the water below. He’s still wearing the hat, and with a small grin, Kíli knows he won’t be getting it back.

“You can have it, I get them more often, anyway,” Kíli says with a shrug, Fíli looking down at the treat and breaking a large chunk off. He holds it up to Kíli’s mouth, making soft noises to encourage the brunet to open his mouth.

“Fíli share,” the blond says happily, feeding Kíli the treat before ripping off a large piece for himself. Fíli alternates between feeding Kíli and himself until the roll is gone, peering into the bucket at his side before jumping back into the water.

“Kee need more? More fish?” Fíli asks, ducking down and watching the human from below the water. Kíli shakes his head, moving towards the end of the dock and wrenching his pole from the wood, reeling it in. Fíli follows him beside the dock, watching Kíli wind the line back onto the reel.

“No, this will be more than enough!” Kíli calls, securing the hook in one of the fishing pole’s eyes before walking back and setting it beside the bucket. “I better get going, though. I’ve still gotta clean them and stuff.”

Fíli pouts from the water, his head popping up above the water, tail flicking the water below and lifting him up to lean on the dock. “Kíli hug?” He wonders with wide eyes, Kíli letting out a chuckle as he pulls his shirt back over his head.

Kneeling down on the wood, the brunet leans over and wraps his arms around Fíli’s shoulders, squeezing tightly. Fíli hums against him, his own arms wrapping around Kíli’s waist as he buries his face in the juncture of the human’s neck and shoulder.

“I’ll come back tomorrow and we can swim some more, okay Fee?” Kíli suggests, the merman nodding against him before releasing his hold and shifting back down into the water. Kíli reaches out to tap the brim of the hat, Fíli grinning before ducking under the water.

Picking up his fishing pole, Kíli uses his other hand to loop under the bucket handle and haul the fish down the dock. He sets the bucket down on the sand and turns to wave at Fíli one last time, the blond giving him a grin before disappearing under the calm water.

Kíli glances down at the fish in the bucket and smiles, hauling them up once more and setting off towards home.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOoo!
> 
> Find me on tumblr~where I sometimes post previews/teasers of things I'm working on! Also--I've never taken prompts before, but if you leave one in my ask box I will do my very best to write a drabble/chapter for it in one of the AU's...though it may take a while :D
> 
> liddie0 . tumblr . com


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh here's a new chapter~ unbeta'd and ready for reading!
> 
> I don't know how much of this is rubbish, but I've had this idea for a while and just sort of wrote it out today. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who reads, comments, and leaves kudos, I love you all!
> 
> p.s. I still don't know how fishing boats work, so let's just pretend I know what I'm doing...

* * *

 

“Kíli, don’t! Leave it!” Bofur shouts through the rain, biting out a curse as the ship tosses violently to the left. The brunet teen ignores him, grabbing onto the side of the boat to stop himself from being thrown overboard. He grabs at the shell necklace hanging around his neck, bringing it up with shaky fingers and giving it a few sharp blows. The boat rocks to the side, Kíli’s hands coming out to grab at the wall for balance.

Kíli blinks through the rain, waiting a few seconds until the waves pitch the ship back the other way before dashing over to the tangle of nets swinging over the water. Ducking to avoid the ropes, he blindly searches the wall for the emergency release lever.

The rain continues to pour down in sheets, the wind whipping it and Kíli’s hair around to splatter against his face. He ignores it and locates the lever, though the ship tilts violently to the side when he reaches for it, jarring his shoulder into the harsh wood of the railing.

“Shit!” Kíli curses against the wind, stumbling onto his behind and wincing at the pain in his arm. He can barely hear Bofur’s muffled shouts, though he ignores them and reaches again for the safety lever. Jerking it down with both hands, Kíli grits his teeth against the pain as it finally shifts down.

The nets come crashing down, half in the water and half on top of the brunet teen. Kíli pulls at the heavy rope, their weight working against him as they start slipping over the edge each time the ledge dips towards the water. Kíli lets out a cry of frustration, crawling to the side and standing on shaky legs to try and pull them up once more.

Arms circle around his waist and haul him back, Bofur’s angry voice barking in his ear over the rain. “I told you to leave them!”

“I can get them,” Kíli shouts back as the older brunet leads them across the deck. Kíli can see Nori waving from the open cabin door, shouting something with wide eyes that Kíli can’t hear. Right before they reach the safety of the cabin, a huge wave crashes over the side of the boat, sweeping Kíli and Bofur away from safety and over to the low side of the ship. With a grunt and harsh shove, Kíli slams against the railing and watches with wide eyes as Bofur is swept over the side and into the raging waters.

“Bofur!” Kíli shouts, turning to the side briefly and watching as Nori approaches with an orange life ring. Kíli can barely see Bofur bobbing on the surface, and before he gets too far away, Kíli grabs the life ring and jumps into the churning sea.

Nori’s shouts chase him into the water, though thanks to some small miracle, Kíli makes it to Bofur right before he goes under. The older brunet is sluggish, and Kíli does his best to fight the waves and rain to wrangle him into the life preserver. Nori starts pulling them back to the boat, Kíli hanging onto the side of the ring and making sure Bofur doesn't slip out.

After what seems like an eternity, they’re at the side of the fishing boat and Nori is hoisting Bofur up first at Kíli’s insistence. Once the fisherman clears the side of the boat, Nori reaches down to grab Kíli’s hand, not noticing the wave coming up from the other side of the ship. Kíli’s wide brown eyes see it a split second before it hits, grabbing the orange life ring from Nori and crashing back into the ocean as the wave hits.

The force of the hit has Kíli fumbling under the water, his sense of up and down thrown off from the impact. He keeps a tight grip on the preserver, following its pull in the direction of the surface. He breaks through the waves and takes a huge breath, another wave crashing down and causing him to inhale a few mouthfuls of seawater.

Sputtering out the salty liquid, the brunet pulls the shell whistle to his mouth and blows it with everything he has. When the waves and rain become too much, he glances around and tries to spot the boat he fell from. His eyes widen when he spots it, not knowing how he’d drifted so far away so quickly.

Adjusting his hold on the life ring, Kíli ducks into it and tries to keep his head above the water. The waves toss him about, his energy slowly dwindling as he tries to swim towards the ship. Panic is settling in, and soon Kíli has tears of frustration mixing with the rainwater drenching his face.

As the water swirls around him, sudden thoughts of his father coming to mind. Was this how he died, pitched into the unforgiving sea during a storm, but without anything to keep him afloat?  Trying to push the thoughts from his mind, Kíli focuses on staying afloat and keeping air in his lungs.

Drifting further and further away from the boat, Kíli thinks about how upset his mother will be if he doesn't make it back. She’ll have lost both her husband and son to the same churning waters, and Kíli prays not only for his sake, but for hers as well.

Kíli tries to take deep breaths when he can, but he’s just so tired from fighting the waves that his body is slowly relaxing. He uses what little strength he has left to hang onto the life ring, though he’s not sure how much longer he’ll last if the storm doesn't let up soon.

 

* * *

 

Back on the boat, Nori drags a coughing Bofur to the safety of the cabin, helping him to lean against the wall as he shuts them away from the storm.

“K-k-kíli, where's Kíli?” He coughs wetly, Nori leaning down to thump him on the back a few times.

“He went over after you, I couldn't grab him in time,” Nori says quietly, his face a range of fear for Kíli and anger at himself. “He grabbed the preserver before he went under, so pray to the gods he can keep a hold of it.”

“I told Dís I’d keep him safe,” Bofur whispers, hanging his head and burying his face into wet hands. “Do you think Fíli…”

“I don't know, we’re pretty far out. I think I heard the whistle though, and there’s always hope.”

“Let’s hope Fíli finds the lad before the storm breaks,” Bofur says shakily. “We have to go look for him, he’s still out there.”

Nori nods instantly, moving up from the floor to fetch two life vests from further in the cabin. He glances out at the storm from the window, stopping a few seconds to say a prayer of his own to the gods he’s neglected for too long.

 

* * *

 

Fíli swims faster than he’s ever swam before, the ball of terror and sorrow coiling tightly in his stomach as he streaks through the water.

He’d been sitting in on the council meeting with his uncle when he was suddenly slammed with Kíli’s terror. The brunet’s emotions had blacked out any of his own, causing him to instinctively lash out at anyone who had tried to get close. Fíli knew his eyes had changed, and with a growl of Kíli’s name, Dwalin and Thorin had released their hold on him instantly.

Now, as he races to where he last heard the whistle come from, he can’t help his own fears from creeping forward. Glancing up at the churning waters on the surface, Fíli swims faster as Kíli’s fear and exhaustion spikes.

“Don’t you dare give up,” Fíli growls to himself, glancing up and seeing the dark form of a boat overhead. He swims up towards it, his eyes widening when he recognizes it as Bofur’s. He swims along the length of it, frowning at the empty deck when the boat rocks to the side.

He lifts himself to lean over the railing just as the door slams open, Bofur and another man stumbling onto the deck. The stranger stumbles over to the opposite side of the boat, trying to search through the rain for something he can’t seem to see. “KÍLI!”

Bofur heads towards him, stumbling back a few feet when he takes in the sight of the blond. Fíli’s mouth is curled in a scowl, his eyes completely black as he growls unconsciously.

“Thank Mahal, Fíli? Did you find him?” Bofur shouts over the storm, Fíli frowning as he tries to understand. With a curse, the brunet shifts his eyes to look out over the water, stumbling towards the railing and leaning over to try and spot something. “Kíli fell overboard, we can’t find him,” Bofur shouts, everything clicking into place as Fíli pushes back into the churning waves.

His search becomes frantic, circling the boat in a wide arc as he looks for any sign of the brunet. When he doesn't spot Kíli close to the boat, the blond widens his search and finally catches sight of something sinking to his right. Fíli makes it before the figure can get too far under, hooking his hands under Kíli’s arms and hauling him up.

They break the surface with a splash that’s lost amid the waves, Kíli’s limp body not responding to the air. “Kíli? Kíli!” Fíli can tell he isn’t breathing, and when he shifts his hold, the merman whines at Kíli’s frighteningly pale face.

Leaning in, Fíli breathes into the brunet’s mouth and presses on his chest, trying to coax life back into the teen. Kíli remains unresponsive, but after a few more tries his eyes snap open and he spits out a mouthful of water. The merman goes to kiss him, trying to pass him the magic of breath, though Kíli pushes away and kicks his legs against the water surrounding them. His body is responding to the panic and fear coursing through his system, all other senses blind to what’s happening.

Fíli keeps him afloat, lifting the human higher out of the water so he can breathe properly as the waves toss them about. Kíli’s eyes are unfocused as he gulps down air greedily, his arms flailing to keep afloat as he sobs out broken words. Fíli hisses when he gets a palm to the face, gathering Kíli into his arms and squeezing him from behind in a tight hug. This only seems to make Kíli panic more, the brunet shouting out around the mouthfuls of water that crash over them.

“I can’t—Da! Please don’t—Da please,” Kíli sobs, going limp in Fíli’s arms. The blond growls lowly, and when Kíli shifts his head up, the merman wastes no time in passing him a breath as they duck down below the waves.

Kíli keeps his eyes closed as he’s pulled under the water, heart accelerating as the noise of the storm disappears into the calm below the surface. His lungs burn from holding onto his last breath, and through the haze of panic he feels anchored to something safe. Something curls around his leg, and when Kíli opens his eyes, he sees familiar green scales wrapped around him.

At the welcomed sight, Kíli relaxes the tiniest bit, breathing the oxygen from the water and trying to stall the panic coursing through him. His eyes shift upwards, the dark sky and rough waves he can see above sending his breathing into overdrive once more.

“Kíli.”

Hearing his name has the brunet snapping his head back down to look at Fíli, frantic eyes searching Fíli’s face and softening when the blond brings a hand up to cup his face. “I have you.”

Fíli holds the wide brown eyes with his own, cradling Kíli in his arms and slowly swimming towards the direction of Bofur’s boat. Kíli’s shaking in his arms, and though he’d relaxed minimally, Fíli stomach still clenches with uncertainty. The human may have stopped panicking physically, but one look tells Fíli there’s something deeper clawing at the brunet.

The blond wants nothing more than to take Kíli down to his cave and keep him close, but Fíli knows there’s no way Kíli will make it all the way back to the nest. Bofur’s fear also replays in his head, and as Fíli swims under the boat, he hopes he can get Kíli onboard without causing more panic. “Kíli okay, safe.”

Squeezing the brunet tightly, Fíli surfaces at the back of the boat, sighing in relief when Bofur spots them right away. As he shouts to the other man, Fíli heads to the small swim deck, Kíli’s arms tightening around him when he tries to pass the brunet off.

“C’mon Kíli, there’s a good lad,” Bofur shouts, reaching down and hooking his hands under Kíli’s arms. The stranger keeps a hold on Bofur’s jacket, and when they haul the teen up over the railing, Fíli leans on the swim deck and watches them carry Kíli into the cabin of the boat.

Dragging himself up onto the swim deck, Fíli curls his arms around the small railing and waits. The storm continues around them, though after a while the wind begins to die down. After what seems like an eternity, Bofur appears over the ledge and gives the blond a grateful look.

“He’s okay, swallowed a lot of water but he’ll be fine. He keeps mumbling something, but we can’t understand him.” Bofur relays tiredly, Fíli nodding and continuing to watch the dark haired male. “We’re going to head to shore as soon as we can. Kíli’s probably caught a cold, but we won’t know for sure until tomorrow.”

Fíli nods again, the tight grip around his heart loosening at the fisherman’s words. Kíli’s okay, and now that he’s on the boat, Bofur will take care of him. The blond wants to follow Bofur back into the cabin, wants to be by Kíli’s side and help him through his fears. Fíli hates that he can’t follow Kíli, and his stomach clenches uncomfortably when he realizes it’s because he’s _different_.

“Thank you, Fíli, for finding him,” Bofur says softly, Fíli almost missing the words because he’s so lost in thought. Fíli nods to the man before wiggling to the side of the small platform, ducking back under the water and circling the boat in agitated circles. He _knows_ Bofur will take care of Kíli, but that doesn’t stop him from worrying.

Fíli ends up following the boat back to port, watching as they carry Kíli towards the town. When they disappear from sight, Fíli heads to the old dock, losing count of how many times he circles the familiar wooden structure. The blond dozes below the dock, the worry gnawing at his stomach preventing him from getting more than a few hours of restless sleep.

In the morning, Fíli awakes to someone calling his name. Dís is leaning over the edge of the dock, smiling softly and waving to the ragged blond. Pushing off from the soft sand, Fíli swims to the surface hurriedly and reaches out to the brunette with a whine.

“Shhh, everything’s okay, Fíli. Kíli’s just fine, thanks to you,” Dís smiles, reaching out and locking her hand with the merman’s.

“Kíli sick?” The blond asks worriedly, Dís nodding with a sad smile.

“He’ll be stuck in bed for a few days, but I want you to make me a promise, okay?” The brunette says, Fíli nodding and ducking back under the water for a few seconds.  Dís leans back, and with a flick of his tail, Fíli moves up to sit beside the smiling woman.

“I want you to go back to your uncle, okay? You can’t stay up here for too long, or there will be people worried about you.”

Fíli whines, leaning into the brunette’s side and flicking his tail anxiously. Dís nudges him with her shoulder, Fíli looking up slowly with a frown.

“I don’t want to worry about both of my boys, okay? One of you being sick is enough,” Dís chuckles, pressing a kiss to the blond’s golden hair. A grin spreads across Fíli’s face as he leans into Dís fully, bringing an arm up in a side hug.

“Okay,” the merman murmurs uncertainly, hugging Dís tightly once more before pushing off the dock and into the water. He bobs in the water hesitantly, turning pleading blue eyes to the brunette.

“Go on, I’ll send Kíli down when he’s feeling better. I promise, Fíli, he’ll be back before you know it.” Dís says in a sure voice, shooing Fíli off with a wave of her arm.

With a small grin, Fíli ducks back under the water, Dís watching until he disappears into the depths. Standing up from the harsh wood, Dís brushes her skirtsoff and heads back to the cottage to tend to her son.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, is that doubt I'm sensing, Fíli?
> 
> The next chapter will be a bit different. It contains some stuff I'm not familiar writing and I don't know how well it will come across. I don't want to say too much, but it's a bit darker and kind of goes along with chapter 11.
> 
> Also, I wanted to write something for October/Halloween and now...hello new AU! It will just be a one-shot though, I promise! I will most likely post pieces/parts of it on my tumblr, so please be on the lookout~
> 
> liddie0 . tumblr . com


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of Fíli's capture, Kíli can't stop thinking about the danger the blond is in as long as they're together.
> 
> *Violence/torture in this chapter*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This chapter contains a scene of violence/torture and pain being inflicted upon characters.**
> 
> Please feel free to skip this chapter if you don't like reading that kind of thing.

* * *

 

The first thing Kíli becomes aware of is the dark laughter ringing through the room he’s in. His body aches, and when he tries to move, something heavy weighs him down. He shifts his wrists, cool metal scraping across the bruises already there. Muffled voices filter around him, followed by the sound splashing of water. The brunet hears footsteps and lifts his head a few inches, only to receive a harsh blow of the side of his face that has him rocking sideways.

Letting out a grunt, Kíli cracks his dark eyes open and tries to focus in the dim light of the room. Wherever he is, it smells like rust and sweat, and the metallic tang of blood hangs heavily in the air as Kíli spits it from his mouth. His arms are tied behind his back, no amount of struggling getting him anywhere near escape.

A dark face looms in front of him, crooked yellow teeth and malevolent eyes staring down with a malicious grin. Kíli blinks a few more times, a shorter figure coming to stand next to the first. The newcomer leans in, smacking Kíli sharply in the face and throwing his head back in laughter when the bound brunet reels back.

“Not too confidant now, are ya,” the short man laughs darkly, stepping back and walking out of Kíli’s line of vision. Kíli’s eyes widen as he realizes who his captors are, his eyes searching the dim room for the one person he hopes to the gods won’t be there.

Chuckling at Kíli’s frantic searching, the tall man places his hand on Kíli’s chair and tips him back, spinning the chair and Kíli around to face where the shorter man had disappeared. Kíli chokes back a scream, the gag in his mouth muffling the curses he spits.

Fíli’s chained up to the wall, his lower half partly submerged in a small iron tub, tail splaying over the side and across the dirty floor. The blond’s arms held above his head, leaving both his chest and tail exposed. Kíli’s eyes take in the cuts and gashes littering Fíli’s torso, his breathing hitching unevenly when he sees blood covering most of his tail. The men have scraped patches of Fíli’s scales off, dark blood staining both his tail and water a deep crimson.

Kíli yanks his wrists in an attempt to move towards Fíli, the cold metal digging into his skin and rubbing it raw. He ignores the pain, unable to take his eyes off the blood and cuts covering Fíli. The tall man starts talking to Kíli, though the brunet can’t seem to focus on anything but Fíli.

With an annoyed noise, the taller man walks over to the shorter, pulling out a long sword and jamming it through the flat of Fíli’s tail fin, pinning it to the floor. The blond lets out an inhuman scream, black eyes glaring heatedly at the two men as he struggles against his bonds. The movements only seem to cause more pain, Fíli stopping his motions to snarl at his captors.

“Now will you pay attention?” The taller man asks Kíli, ignoring the hateful glare and walking to stand in front of the brunet. Kíli tries to look around him at Fíli, the man slapping him roughly and grabbing his chin in a bruising hold.

“Eyes to me, wretch. This is your fault, for stealing what was ours.”

Kíli jerks his face from the man’s tight hold, spitting back harsh words that are muffled around his gag. The man gives him an amused smile, bringing a dagger up and slicing the side of Kíli’s face and the gag binding his mouth. Kíli sucks in a deep breath, trying to seem as if the searing pain blooming along his cheek means nothing.

“He wasn't yours to take. He doesn't belong to you or anyone,” Kíli growls, the man laughing and twirling his dagger through deft fingers.

“Ah, but you see, I think he belongs to you,” the man smiles slyly, the shorter man standing next to Fíli barking a laugh of his own. Fíli hisses at them, black eyes darting between the two men with cool calculation. “Isn’t that right?”

Kíli shakes his head, the man frowning and rearranging his grip on the dagger before plunging it into Kíli’s shoulder. The brunet bites his lip to muffle the scream, hanging his head and trying to take deep breaths against the pain. He can hear Fíli growling lowly, no doubt smelling the fresh blood spilling down his shoulder.

“I think I’m right. Gror, take a few more scales off that one, surely he doesn't need them _all_.” Kíli’s head whips up at the words, Fíli hissing and groaning when the sword from his tail is removed. His relief is short, Gror coming up and none too carefully shearing off a few more of the slippery green scales. Kíli strains at his bonds, his angry eyes shifting when Fíli’s pained gaze catches his.

With a slick slide, the sword once again digs into the floor, spearing through Fíli’s fin in a different spot. “You fucking bastard, I’ll kill you!” Kíli shouts, his bruised and bloody body shifting in the chair in an attempt to get closer to the merman. The unnamed man laughs at him, coming to stand in front of Kíli and placing a hand on his injured shoulder.

“How about I give you a choice, hmm? We kill the monster and you go free, or, we kill you and let the little mermaid go. Your life or his, what’ll it be?” The tall man sneers, reaching over and gripping the handle of the blade, rotating it and tearing the muscles in Kíli’s shoulder.

Kíli can’t hold the pain in any longer, his frantic screams echoing around the room and causing Fíli to thrash anew from his own prison. The man smiles in satisfaction, pulling the dagger from Kíli’s shoulder and walking over to where Fíli is tied up. Kíli’s chest heaves as he tries to think past the pain, lifting his head and watching the man pull the sword from Fíli’s tail.

“What’ll it be, whelp? I’m not a patient man.”

“Me, kill me,” Kíli decides quickly, the men sharing a smirk that Kíli almost misses. Fíli whines from across the room, shaking his head from side to side and pleading to Kíli with wide eyes.

“Isn’t that cute, the beauty saving the beast,” Gror sneers, walking over to Kíli and jamming his fist down into Kíli’s shoulder wound. The brunet cries out at the pain that laces through his body, the short man pulling back with a satisfied grin. Walking around behind Kíli, the fat man pushes Kíli’s chair forward, tipping it on two legs and holding it steady.

“Now Gror, the boy made his decision,” the taller man chastises, wiping his sword with a rag and tossing the bloody scrap of fabric aside. He leans over and unlocks Fíli’s cuffs, the blond slumping to the floor and trying to hold himself up on shaking arms. Kíli looks up at the man with defiant eyes, his breathing steady as he waits for the final blow.

“Go comfort the beast in your his moments,” the taller man sneers, snapping the ropes and tipping the chair forward, dumping Kíli onto the floor. Before Kíli knows what’s happening, the man brings his sword up and stabs Fíli straight through the heart from behind, the blond seizing up and choking out a shout.

Kíli screams, jolting awake and sitting straight up in bed. Sweat pours down his face, the brunet shaking as the image of Fíli being stabbed replays in his mind over and over. Throwing the blanket off, Kíli blindly stumbles through the house and out the front door.

He’s shaking violently, from both the chilly air and traces of the vivid dream. Kíli’s vision blurs as he makes his way down the beach, a shaky hand coming up to bring the shell whistle around his neck to his lips. He blows it in one short burst, shaking fingers dropping it as his chest heaves with his frantic breathing. He stumbles down into the surf, wide eyes searching for any sign of the blond.

Tears spill down his cheeks as he closes his eyes, the image of Fíli with a sword through his heart seared into his brain. Kíli snaps his eyes open, though the empty water fills his heart with dread. Body shaking violently, the brunet doubles over and hugs his knees, rocking slightly as he tries desperately to forget the dream.

The sound of Fíli’s screams echo in his mind, Kíli’s hands moving up to grip his hair in a tight hold. His breathing is hitching dangerously, so brings a hand down to grab his chest as forceful sobs wrack his body.

After what feels like an eternity, a hand is running up and down his back. Kíli shakes his head, fingers digging into the skin of his chest as his dry sobs hitch.

“Kíli?” A worried voice cuts through the dark memories, thick with sleep yet unmistakably Fíli’s. Kíli takes a few more deep breaths before turning his head to the side, Fíli’s pale face watching him closely. The blond makes a questioning noise in the back of his throat, trying to coax Kíli into a sitting position. A few pushes and pulls later, Kíli’s sitting on his knees beside the blond, arms wrapped around his own chest as his eyes rake over Fíli’s form.

The merman watches him with a confused frown, trying to move closer only to have Kíli flinch back. Fíli sits silently, the glazed look in Kíli’s eyes alerting him to the unusual nature of the brunet.

Kíli stares at Fíli’s tail, reaching out hesitantly to brush his fingers over the spots that were missing scales in his dream. His fingers slide smoothly over the wet tail, a deep emerald green in the light of the moon. Kíli’s fingers trace up and over Fíli’s skin, checking for any cuts or gashes along the blond’s stomach. He avoids looking at Fíli’s upper chest, not wanting to see the image seared across his mind as a reality.

Fíli brings a hand up slowly, catching Kíli’s shaking hand and squeezing it tight. “Kíli?” He tries again, cocking his head to the side and trying to lock eyes with the human. The brunet blinks, staring straight through the blond with a pained look.

Letting out a huff, Fíli pulls back out into the water, ignoring Kíli’s pained cry and dragging him into the dark ocean. Kíli stumbles along, gasping when Fíli pulls him out in the deep and up onto his chest. Kíli struggles for a few seconds until Fíli brings a hand up to bury in dark hair, urging the human to rest over his heart. Kíli shivers, Fíli misinterpreting the action and bringing his other arm up to rub across Kíli’s back.

The merman begins to sing softly, and thought the words are foreign, the tune is the same as the one Kíli had taught him back when they were children. Relaxing against the blond, Kíli’s arm curls up over Fíli’s shoulder and holds tight.

Swimming them in wide circles, Fíli continues to sing as he waits for Kíli’s breathing to slow back to normal. Kíli sniffs a few times, hands clenching and unclenching against Fíli’s skin in the water. “Are you okay, Fee?”

Fíli tightens his hold across Kíli’s back, breaking his low song to hum in response. “Kíli okay? Scared?” Shifting his head up, Kíli’s watery brown eyes catch steady azure, Fíli’s gaze softening when he sees fear and uncertainty drift across the human’s face. “Kíli okay, safe.”

“I’m not worried about myself,” the brunet whispers, lying his head back down and tracing patterns on Fíli’s chest. With a frown, the merman changes their course towards the shore, flipping them at the last minute and pushing Kíli up onto the wet sand. Crawling up after him, Fíli flops himself down across his human, curling up against his chest and bringing his tail up snug against Kíli’s’ side.

The waves lap around them in timed movements, Fíli remaining quiet as he lies over Kíli’s heart, waiting for the brunet to speak. Kíli moves his arms up to circle the blond, hand tracing along the length of Fíli’s back and tail.

“I…I had a dream, Fee. You were…t-t-there was so much blood and I couldn't…I watched you die,” Kíli stutters, cheeks damp from stray tears running down into his hair. Fíli shifts his head up against the brunet’s chin, craning his neck so that his tongue can snake out to catch the falling tears. Cooing softly, Fíli reaches down to find Kíli’s hand, entangling their fingers together, mindful of his sharp nails.

“Fíli safe with Kíli,” the blond murmurs, nuzzling into Kíli’s chest and splaying his tail across the length of the brunet’s side. Kíli shakes his head, Fíli’s hand on his cheek stopping the agitated movements.

“But you’re _not_ safe with me, what if you get captured again?” Kíli points out, two dark shadows of men flashing across his mind, crooked teeth and vicious grins aimed to destroy.

“Fíli safe, no get caught,” he murmurs against chilly skin, Kíli’s distressed noise relaying how upset he actually is.

“I can’t promise that, Fee. This…us, we aren’t normal, and I—”

Fíli snaps up and recoils from the brunet at the harsh words, Kíli’s hands shooting out to wrap around the blond’s arm and keep him close. “No, that’s not what I meant, Fee. I don't want normal, I want you, but I can’t keep you safe like I want to and it’ll be my fault if something happens to you,” Kíli babbles, the blond relaxing slightly and leaning into Kíli’s chest, lying his ear over the human’s rapidly beating heart.

“I don't want there to be a chance you’ll be taken away, that I’ll never see you again,” Kíli finishes his tangent, voice tapering off and becoming swallowed in harsh, hiccupping sobs. Fíli brings his hand up to guide the Kíli’s face towards his own, sealing their lips together in a light kiss.

Kíli’s hiccups echo into Fíli’s mouth, the blond pressing up and guiding Kíli’s mouth open with his tongue. Fíli takes something from the brunet through the kiss, and when they pull apart, Kíli’s no longer plagued with his wet hiccups.

“Safe with Kíli, stay with Kíli,” the blond whispers against his cheek, tongue darting out to lick the last of the silent tears that fall from Kíli’s face.

As they lay on the beach, Kíli can’t shake the fear that's still wrapped around his heart. He knew when they started their relationship that things would be difficult, but he never truly thought about how much danger Fíli would be in. As the merman drifts to sleep across his chest, Kíli lies awake until the sun rises, too afraid to fall back into the nightmares that await him.

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand this was my response to writing something darker/dangerous for these two. I also wanted to show Kíli's doubt and insecurities, since there was a hint of Fíli's in the previous chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> I've only got a couple more ideas for this story, so I may be ending it soon (though I do still have that spinoff/sequel mpreg thing). If you have suggestions/prompts, feel free to drop them in my ask box on tumblr!
> 
> liddie0 . tumblr . com


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thissss chapter is for octopusfiona, who requested: before they found out the secret of Fili's legs, has Fili ever been insecure and Kili promised Fili he will never leave?
> 
> Thank you for translating this~! I hope you like the chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BE WARNED! This chapter contains top!mer!Fíli~
> 
> This takes place before Fíli gets legs but after they have sex for the first time. Maybe it's their second time (first time with Fíli on top), so they're still fumbling idiot boys~
> 
> And Fíli has insecure feels...

* * *

 

The water ripples under the afternoon sun, green scales flashing just below the surface as Fíli watches the brunet lying in the surf. He hasn't been up to see Kíli in a few days, Thorin having done his best to keep Fíli busy below.

Fíli may also be avoiding the brunet because of the incident a few days ago, where he had shown his jealousy towards the girl Kíli had met on the docks. He’s been thinking about it a lot, always getting angry with himself for thinking of Kíli as his. Kíli wasn’t his, he was a wonderful human who occasionally kissed and did other _things_ with the blond merman.

Or so Fíli thought.

Making up his mind, Fíli heads towards the beach, slowly crawling up the waves towards the human lying half in the water.

Kíli keeps completely still in the sand, fighting his smirk when he feels Fíli getting closer. Just as a damp hand brushes his hair back, Kíli tenses his body, snapping dark eyes open and launching himself up, reversing their positions and pinning Fíli to the warm sand. Fíli flails around for a few seconds, letting out a squeak and flipping his tail up towards Kíli’s back.

Ducking low, Kíli avoids getting smacked with the tail, pressing up against Fíli and sealing their lips together. Fíli hums into the kiss, his tail coming up to rest over Kíli’s back and keep him in place. “Gotcha,” Kíli pulls back with a grin, settling his legs on either side of Fíli in a straddle. The blond flicks his tail back into the water, reaching up to hook his hands behind Kíli’s neck and pull him down.

The brunet leans down into another kiss, his knees sinking into the wet sand causing his crotch to press down into Fíli. Kíli lets out a strange noise, something between a moan and shriek, his body shivering at the feel of Fíli’s cool scales separated only by the thin fabric of his swimsuit.

Fíli’s eyes widen at the noise, misinterpreting it and the shiver as disgust and pushing Kíli off harshly. With a pained noise Kíli lands in the sand, taking a second to catch his breath before sitting up with a frown.

Fíli’s nowhere to be seen, slight ripples in the water the only sign he was ever with Kíli. Well, ripples _and_ the growing arousal tenting Kíli’s shorts.

“Fíli! Get back here!” Kíli shouts, squinting out across the water for any sight of the merman. Waiting a few moments, Kíli flops back with a groan when Fíli doesn’t resurface.

Meanwhile, Fíli circles out of sight below the dock. Kíli’s strange noises and shivers are running though his head, replaying over and over. His sheathe was itching to release his budding arousal, though now he’s second guessing Kíli’s strange noises as revulsion and his body locks up.

He doesn't realize he’s swimming around the posts under the dock until something crashes into him from above, arms and legs wrapping around his chest and tail and clinging tightly. It takes a few seconds of fumbling, but soon enough, Fíli’s got his arm around Kíli’s back and is swimming up to the surface.

“Finally!” Kíli yells as they burst through the water, sucking in a huge breath and using a hand to push his hair back. Glaring at Fíli, he pushes the blond’s hair back as well, nudging Fíli and pointing towards the shore. “We need to talk, swim your butt over there.” Kíli demands, squeezing Fíli with his legs when the blond just bobs in the water.

Dragging them slowly through the water, Fíli huffs when Kíli refuses to let go of him even when they hit the shore. Clinging like a limpet, Kíli waits until Fíli drags them up into the sand, trapping the merman and flipping him onto his back.

“Now, are you going to tell me what that was all about,” Kíli wonders with a quirked brow, settling against the blond much like he had before Fíli had panicked, though he was mindful to keep his bottom elevated. “Fíli?”

With a low growl Fíli turns his head away, flipping his tail in the water and splashing a cool spray over both of them. “Don’t you throw a temper tantrum with me,” Kíli scolds, leaning down and folding his hands over Fíli’s chest. “Talk to me, Fee,” Kíli whispers, resting his chin on folded arms and trying to look into Fíli’s bright blue eyes.

“Is…is Kíli happy?”

“Of course I am!” Comes the immediate reply, Kíli’s brow furrowing as he tries to understand what Fíli’s talking about. The blond refuses to look at Kíli, though his tail is now lying still in the water, giving Kíli a hint of the merman’s mood.

“Fíli is…different. Not…human.” Fíli bites out quietly. “Kíli want human, like Kíli.”

Fíli starts when Kíli reaches out and slaps his face, an angry look crossing the brunet’s usually cheery countenance. “Is _that_ what this is about? Why you’ve been avoiding me and being distant?” Kíli sputters, leaning his body up and looking down into Fíli’s eyes.

“Why would you think that? That I would want to be with anyone else? I care about you, Fee, I want to be with _you_.” Fíli shakes his head, trying to turn from Kíli only to have the brunet place his hand on Fíli’s flushed cheek.

“I want to be with you, Fíli, please don’t doubt that. I love when we’re together, you know I do.”  Kíli says softly, leaning back down and hovering over Fíli, his lips only a breath away. He holds himself back, waiting and hoping for Fíli to move forward, to give him the reassurance that he wanted this, too.

Kíli doesn't have to wait long, a few moments at most before Fíli’s leaning up and connecting their lips. He presses against Kíli fully, one hand locking behind the brunet’s neck and the other resting on his thigh.

“Yes,” Fíli whispers against Kíli’s mouth, “Don’t leave me.”

“Never, I swear it,” Kíli guarantees, pulling back a few inches and resting his forehead against Fíli’s. “You’re stuck with me, Fee, sorry about your luck.”

Fíli grins, wrapping his arms around Kíli’s back and rolling them over, slotting himself between Kíli’s spread legs. “Lucky, indeed,” Fíli noses into Kíli’s neck, moving his hips against the brunet’s in small, sharp motions. Fíli lifts his tail up behind himself, dripping water onto Kíli’s flushed face and licking it off. “Mine.”

“Yours, for as long as you’ll have me,” Kíli grins cheekily, catching Fíli’s lips in a chaste kiss.

“Forever, always,” Fíli punctuates each word with a kiss, leaning down to whisper into Kíli’s ear. “Want to…take Kíli.”

Kíli’s eyes go wide and he nods, jamming a hand into his pocket and pulling out a small bottle. Fíli grins at the sight of it, and although he’s only seen it a few times, he definitely knows what’s inside.

“How are we going to do this?” Kíli asks, Fíli slipping off him to the side and tugging his shorts down, Kíli lifting his hips so the fabric slides off easily. Fíli turns him over, positioning Kíli on his knees with his ass in the air.

“Ready?” Fíli asks, grinning at Kíli’s grunt of ‘yes’ and quickly slicking his fingers with the lube. He takes his time, circling Kíli’s entrance and slipping one digit in at a time.

Soon, the merman has Kíli rocking back onto three fingers, Fíli’s own erection unsheathed and leaking the clear liquid of his arousal. Kíli’s on his hands and knees, looking over his shoulder at the blond and pleading with him softly.

“C’mon Fee, I’m ready! Please, please just do it!”

Fíli pulls his fingers out with a pop, slipping them into his mouth and smiling at the taste of Kíli. The brunet groans at the sight, yelping when Fíli slings an arm around his waist and hauls him into the water.

“Fíli! What are you—”

“Shhh,” Fíli hisses lowly, pulling Kíli out into the deeper water and ducking under, passing the magic through a kiss as he pushes Kíli to the sandy ocean floor. Hooking his arms under the needy brunet’s knees, Fíli spreads him wide and slips inside, resting flush against Kíli and pushing him into the sand.

A barrage of bubbles comes from Kíli’s mouth, and when Fíli’s fully sheathed in the hot body, he holds himself completely still. His eyes waver between azure and black, and when Kíli hooks his hands behind the blond’s neck, Fíli starts to slowly thrust against him.

Kíli’s eyes are blown wide, locked with Fíli’s as the merman thrusts in a steady rhythm. He mouths silent words; _faster_ , _harder_ , _more_ , and Fíli complies with each request, pushing Kíli further and further into the sand. When Kíli wraps his legs around the merman, Fíli stills his movements deep inside, wrapping his arms around Kíli’s back and shifting up.

Kíli lets out a bubbly scream of pleasure as they head to the surface, each flick of Fíli’s tail mimicking a thrust. He knows he isn’t going to last much longer, and when they surface next to one of the pillars of the dock, Fíli pulls away and out of the brunet to flip him around.

“Oh gods!”

Kíli gets the hint, grabbing the wooden post in a hug as Fíli slips right back in from behind. Kíli moans at the feeling, Fíli holding his bottom up as he uses his tail to thrust into the brunet over and over. With the bent angle, Fíli’s cock is pressing right against his prostate, Kíli babbling nonsense as he gets closer and closer to completion.

“Kíli close? Too much?” Fíli pants, reaching down to fist Kíli in time with his thrusts. Kíli shakes his head, wet hair clinging to his face and neck as he squeezes the post.

“Don’t stop, Fee, I can’t—”

With a cry, Kíli tumbles over the edge and releases into the tight fist of Fíli’s hand. The merman hisses at the heat clenching around him, hip stuttering against Kíli’s backside as he releases into his human, pulling out and watching his spend cloud the water around Kíli’s ass.

Kíli slumps down, Fíli quickly grabbing him and shifting them away from the dock, cock slipping back inside as he rolls onto his back and wraps his arms around Kíli’s waist.

“Kíli is okay?” Worry laces his tone, but Kíli shifts his head up and presses his lips anywhere he can reach on Fíli’s neck and chin.

“Letssjust swim, mmk Fee?” Kíli slurs, happily sated and too content to move. Fíli chuckles beneath him, drifting slowly in wide circles while running his hands up and down Kíli’s back.

“Thank you,” Fíli mutters into dark hair, grinning when he notices how relaxed and slow Kíli’s breathing is. “Stay with Kíli.”

“Mhmm,” the brunet mumbles, a happy sigh and soft snores escaping his mouth as they float just under the water, Fíli grinning as if he’s the luckiest merman alive.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written a lot of these two in a while, so if this is strange, I'm sorry. Only a few chapters left before we start the new 'chapter' in their lives...hahaaaa...
> 
> I'm also not 100% sure about underwater sex, but I assume it would be easier for Fíli since he's a merman. We'll keep him in his element :D


End file.
